Happenings

I have been spending a lot of time in my quilting/sewing studio. I showed you my mystery quilt but I wanted to prove that I actually did finish the binding.

It is hanging back at the Country Loft ... That's a quilt that when it comes back won't have to go in the pile "to be quilted."

I had another quilt of mine in the to be quilted pile - I dug it out, along with the back that was already made and quilted it!  I am teaching it this Friday from 10 to 1 at the Country Loft.

It's a 16 patch with some alternating framed fussy cut blocks.  I made this for me ... It's my grandma quilt for when my grand babies come to visit .. It has minky on the back and will be wonderful to snuggle under!  I know Kylee will love it when she comes!!

I did a technique on the quilt called dwirling ... You echo the previous pass and throw in some design elements for interest ... I really wanted to get this quilt done fast, so my pattern was spaced farther apart.

If I'd had the time, I would have made the design tighter and smaller since the quilt is not huge .. But I love that it is done!

 I used Glide thread in top and bobbin.  I have the binding all cut and and after class on Friday, I'll bring it home and bind it.  This quilt is just screaming to be washed so it will crinkle up.  I'll make sure I take a picture so you can see the finished product!

Mystery quilt and class

I had hinted that there was something secret going on in my sewing ... and now that the mystery class is over, I can show you the quilt:

Ta da!  Before it was quilted ...

I love teaching mystery classes ... it is a class from 10 to 4, and I always include lunch.  It has such a different feel than my regular stash classes, because we are set to spend the entire day together!  We use the time to sew, chat, develop our friendships, and just enjoy the common bond that we have ... being women, mothers, grandmothers, whatever it is.  I leave one block at the store to show you what the quilt will "kind of" look like ... you at least see a design and colors that I use.  I leave a supply list and that's when the questions begin ... my students/friends crack me up ... they always try to pry out of me information about the quilt to see what it looks like.  It's so funny ... the thing I always find so interesting is that almost every person that signs up for a mystery class is an "a type" personality ... I'm that way too ... but they always challenge themselves to go out of their comfort zone and trust that they will love what they come up with.  It has been so fun over the last few years to see everyone's creations ...

These are several samples of work from the class ... I love them all!!  I also love to see how people experiment with color -- maybe the opposite color of mine -- pattern in a fabric ... it's why we all love quilting ... a small piece of fabric looks a lot different when cut and sewn, then it did when it was a part of a yard!

I took the quilt home with me last week after class (I usually leave it at the store so students can look at it later); I am determined to try and get some of my own quilts quilted.  So without thinking about what quilt I SHOULD put on my frame, I made a back this week, loaded the quilt, quilted it, bound it, and even sewed the binding on.

You may be saying to yourself ... big deal ... that's how I finish a quilt too.  However, when you quilt for others as a business, you hardly ever finish your own quilts!  It doesn't make sense ... I know it doesn't ... I have a stack of quilts here in my home that need to be quilted ... and I have a small stack of finished tops at the Country Loft that are class samples that stay in the classroom for customers to see ... they need to be quilted as well.  Wouldn't it be great if I could just get on a track of quilting my tops?  I'll work on that and let you know what happens!

At long last ... hello!

Hello friends!  I kind of disappeared for a couple of weeks ... it means I was really busy and trying to keep on top of several things.  My kitchen countertops are done; I have forbidden our contractor to come back and finish until the end of August ... he is great and I love the kitchen, but I am tired of cleaning up and I just need a break!!  He kind of looked at me like "are you sure?"  Who tells their contractor NOT to come!  Haha

Sweet daughter went back to college ... she is a senior this year!  Yikes!  So happy for her ... it was time for her to be done with summer and get back into her swing of things.  Hubby went back to work after his summer break (works in the school system); so I have been enjoying some peace this week ... well if you count three crazy dogs, peaceful ... but at least I don't have to deal with humans!  I think the dogs listen better to me ... but that's debatable!

I have been busy the last couple of weeks quilting and sewing.  I quilted this lovely quilt for my customer and friend ... it is a stash class quilt that I taught a couple of months ago.

She is so great at finishing her projecjts ... and they are usually given away to someone ... she is so generous!

She will tell you she isn't a quilter ... but I have seen her skill level improve so much!  Just look how those points all come together ... that is hard!  This quilt was a challenge for me as well.  It came out beautiful!

I love the look of her quilt ... The black diagonal and the gold diagonal ... So classy!  I did a simple stipple ... not small, but maybe medium.  Just to give it texture ... that's what she likes (and p.s. ... you know that's what I like too!).  I used Superior Omni thread in top and bobbin.

Enjoy your weekend ...

One of my own ...

Has anyone noticed that I have not been posting my stash reports?  Well ... I have taken a short break from them, and promise to catch up in a couple of weeks.  Although I haven't been posting by week, I have been keeping track of what I use, and have purchased no fabric in the last couple months ... Yep, you read that correctly!  Haha!!!

I finally got to quilt one of my own quilts a couple weeks ago ... Remember this from last year?  I made it over the summer while my daughter was home recouping from pneumonia.

This has turned into one of my favorite quilts.  I love the color combination.

A lot of these taupe fabrics I got for sale on the Bunny Hill website ... I didn't know what I was going to use them for, but they were too good of a deal to pass up!

One of my favorites in this quilt is the gray with black polka dots ... called Little Black Dress from Moda.

I used Suoerior Omni thread in a tan color ... Free motion stippling.  For my own quilts, I seldom choose something intricate.  I really like an all over, simple pattern, and am so excited to just get it done!  The stipple is a very easy pattern for me ... It's the quickest one ... I can crank it out pretty fast!

Love the back as much as the front!

I was not happy, however, to find I hadn't prepared any binding.  Not a problem ... After I trimmed it, I used all my leftover scraps for the binding!

Made even easier using my 2 1/2" accucquilt die ... Presto magic

...

I stagger the colors and before you know it it's getting sewn down ...

Now comes the fun stuff, hand sewing the binding to the back.

Thanks for letting me gush about one of my own quilts!!

A quilt!

Yes I have been longarming ... I did this customer quilt last week ...

Isn't it adorable?  A block of the month by JoAnn Mullaly from a couple of years ago ... The pattern is Alphabet Tags.

Look how cute ... I doodled around the stitchery in each block ...

Just did a little curly swirl all over the rest of the quilt.  Love that owl block!

I love to work on quilts that have so much interest ... Makes it fun to see what's coming up next ... Used my favorite Superior Omni thread in the top and bobbin ... One of my favorite colors, Bronco.

Didn't she do a beautiful job!  It's such an adorable quilt! 

Anybody want a beagle?!!  Haha

Happy Monday

Well hello!  Happy Monday to you ... Last Friday we started a minor kitchen project.  After living here for 23 years, we are replacing our countertops.

Plywood went on the top

I really liked that our contractor left me a solid top for the weekend ... All except for the missing sink!!  How many times a day do you walk to your kitchen sink and throw something in it, rinse something, or ...????  I can't tell you how many times I turned that way to throw something in the sink and remembered I don't have one!

Here's my temporary coffee station ... Thank goodness for Starbucks Via's ... They are pretty good for instant!

And here's the stuff we need every day ... 

Cereal, fruit, plastic silverware (hallelujah) and dog biscuits!!

Today we have cement board and a sink ...

But there's no faucet yet !  Haha ... I love my new sink though.  Hoping it will all be finished by Wednesday ... Not holding my breath, but ever hopeful!  Haha

I have been sewing and loving it ... But I can't show you what I'm working on ... It's top secret for now!

My baby turned 21 yesterday ... She has been studying in Greece for 5 weeks and came home just in time to celebrate!  I love her and am so proud of her!

Life is a little crazy and disjointed right now ... That's what summer seems to always bring us!  I'm holding on and enjoying the ride!!

Randomness ...

Aacckk ... How has a week gone by?  Ok ... I am not even going to apologize again!  My hubby works for the school district and he is home during the summers ... Enough said, correct?  He is really just a large child and has many plans for his time off ... Many of these projects seem to have my name on them too ... Brother!!

Did some sewing yesterday on a mystery quilt I am teaching in August ... Of course it's a mystery, but I can share this with you ...

Don't you love how I lined that design up so it was right in the center of the middle block!?  Hahaha ... Not ... It was purely by accident!

Musings and catching up ...

Hi all ... We were on vacation last week to the Seattle/Tacoma area and to Victoria, B.C.  We had visited Victoria when the kids were young and realized it was someplace we needed to return and spend some time.  While we enjoyed the scenery in WA, the area is being hit by a heat wave and it was just too hot for me! Sorry we are pampered San Diegans spoiled by a near perfect climate!

We spent 3 days in Victoria and had such a good time!  We left our car in Port Angeles and relied on just walking around Victoria on foot.  The weather was beautiful ... Cooler than San Diego and they claimed it was hot for them.  We stayed at the lovely Empress Hotel.

I felt like I was in England!

While there hubby had promised we would have tea at the hotel.  Their tea is a very big deal and they serve 600 to 900 people a day (if I understood the hostess correctly).  We made reservations and I was so excited.  My husband, not really ... Haha ... He was such a good sport, but the tea menu is really not something he would usually eat.

A listing of the teas you could pick from ...

They're beautiful china.  They have a set menu, the only thing you have your choice of is tea.

It was all delicious and by the time we got to dessert, we split one of everything and saved the rest for later in a doggy bag.  They also send everyone home with tea bags of their Empress Tea ... Their house blend.  Yummy and their most popular tea.

We spent lots of time just walking and sightseeing ... I did a little shopping .... I did see a quilt store, but I honestly cannot think of buying any more fabric right now!  I have been doing some journaling and planning in a calendar, basically scrapbooking.  I found a couple of really nice paper/stationery stores that had lovely things that you don't see so much here.  Came home with a little loot ... I'll show you a peek from one of the stores ...

Addicting as quilting I tell you ... It is helping me through my life right now.  I fell like I am just overwhelmed with everything ... So I have retreated a little to regroup.  This happens sometimes, and I think it is important to listen to ourselves.

I am trying to play catch up from being gone, but didn't want you all to think I had forgotten you!  I'll be back later with more of my travels ... I have more to share!  And also catch you up to date on what I have been sewing.

In the meantime I'll leave you with this sweet picture of my granddaughter ...my son has had 3 weeks of visitation, and after this week, they go to 3 times a week, but still supervised by mom ... Weird I think, but that is the way it is done.  He is really enjoying finally being able to see her ... It warms and melts my heart.

Happy 4th of July!

I know I've been absent but we have been on vacation.  I'll be back this week but just wanted to wish you a Happy Indeoendence Day!