Revisiting some old projects.....................

I have to say that I am a very lucky person. My friend, Robin would tell me that I make my own luck!  Doesn't matter where or how it comes, maybe I should say that I am blessed?   And why am I blessed? - because I know so many wonderfully fabulous people. They are a wealth of information (and I like to return what I know), they are helpful, they are creative, they are entertaining - well the list goes on and on.  Let's just say that I am very blessed and while I don't always get a chance to spend as much time as I would like on some conversations - I do think about others a lot. I have a lot of hours to kill in a day doing stuff with my hands and well my head has to think about something. So I think about you!!!!

Again a HUGE HUGE HUGE thank you to everyone who has donated items for M's fashion show fundraiser.  We so appreciate all the donations. We still have until April 13th - so if you have stuff - let me know and we'll come pick it up.

TWO other good things happened yesterday. One - I finished "correcting" my mistake on that project. Yeah - what a relief to be pretty much done with it now. I'll get the info to you soon. Secondly, I had a quilt to do before I go away and I thought it was going to take me a LONG time to do it. But nope - realized when I opened it up that it won't take that long. You know - that sounds silly, but it is a huge relief.

I found these pictures waiting to be posted - they are what I did a week ago on Monday.

All the half square triangles for Vintage Moments - trimmed!!!!!

And yet another row on the ugly string pieced quilt

Got the mitered borders put on this strippy quilt. I love this quilt and it is SO EASY to make

The backing (love the colour and it's flannel) is washed. The binding is made. It is almost ready to go into the lost realm called "TO BE QUILTED". Well they are technically not lost, but it takes a long time for them to resurface as a finished quilt. 

Remember those blocks that I was chopping up and resewing together?  The ones that I had made a mistake in the initial cutting?  Yep - I started with rectangles (as per the pattern). When I made the initial cut, I cut in the landscape orientation instead of portrait or vice versa. Anyway - I could no longer follow the pattern. So.................    I just made it up as I went along.

The LAST seam was done - these blocks were just waiting to be trimmed

And what did I get with the trimmed blocks?????    Yes - a FUNKY looking star!!!!!    I love them.

Actually - there was a star and a long strip of nothing on the side. I trimmed the star block part and took the leftovers to use as a border??????   Not sure yet - it is on the design wall and I am trying to figure out the next step.

Star blocks with dark blue for sashing - nope

Star blocks with black and white??????

Hmmmmm - maybe not that black and white

Just black?????

See - here are the blocks and that scrappy border!!!!!

Hmmm - now that I am looking at it here - I am kind of liking the white. That would give it a very modern look. For some ridiculous reason, I want to put a small frame around each block. So if I put a white frame, then I could always decide later what to do. My other option is a small black frame.  What do you think???   Black or white????

I hate making those kind of decisions.  As soon as I find the right colour for the sashing - it will come to me!!!!   This is where a trip to the quilt store comes in handy. Easy to access all those colours and - well I am at Ruti's on Saturday for a class - perhaps I will go.


OK - so have you ever had a day when - well you wish you could win the lottery??????   I need a mere $900,000.  This is so off the wall and blue sky that it hurts. But there is this fabulous building - it would be a perfect gallery/quilt store/studio/sewing working room - it would be awesome!!!!!    And it is up for sale, the asking price is a mere $900,000.    Didn't Oprah always say - go big or go home?????  Oh well - that is something I can dream about. And I can renovate and decorate in my mind - yep - maybe that is what I will do instead of thinking about all of you!!!!


On that note - I am back at the long arm this morning.

Have a great day!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!

More show n tell!

I can't begin to tell you the relief I feel now that I am DONE correcting that issue.  Seriously - if I had of known at the beginning exactly how long it was going to take, I might have thought twice about it. However I am happy to report that the problem is corrected, the mind numbing job is done and I am ready to move on!!!!

I recently came across this article which I thought I would share with you - I think it is very appropriate based on my recent experience.   In particular - I thought this quote was very fitting............


One study conducted by Gilovich even showed that if people have an experience they say negatively impacted their happiness, once they have the chance to talk about it, their assessment of that experience goes up. Gilovich attributes this to the fact that something that might have been stressful or scary in the past can become a funny story to tell at a party or be looked back on as an invaluable character-building experience.



Oh yes - that was a character-building experience to say the least.  By the way - the sewing days, the classes, the clubs and guilds - all of that is a LIFE EXPERIENCE as they mention in the article. OK - so we have to buy a few things in order to do that - so what!!!!  

Obviously stress does NOT affect my blood pressure. I went two days ago and it was really low. Well for most people is would be really low, but I am in the low normal range which is classified for athletes and children. I don't really feel like I qualify for the athlete category so I must be a child!

The following pictures are from the show n tell at The Hobby Horse this past weekend. The first quilt is called Enchanted Autumn by The Vintage Spool. 

Enchanted Autumn by The Vintage Spool

Nice bear paw   (Linda)

Wow - that pumpkin is awesome. I love the bright colours (Linda)!

More subdued colours  (Anna)

A funky bird - very cute (Colleen)

Look at those leaves. She used the Shimmer line of fabric from Northcott and those leaves are awesome. (Colleen) 

Cool bear paw block (Colleen)

More subdued colour way (Elaine S)

Nice variety of oranges for the pumpkin (Jennifer)

Bear paw block (Jennifer)

Love the bird fabric (Chris)

Although the owner of this block DENIED fussy cutting the bird, we beg to differ. There is a black dot EXACTLY where the eye is.  Looks awesome!!!! (Anita)

A brilliant red bird!!!! (Halima)

Bear paw block (Halima)

Awesome job ladies!!!!   Love it!!!


Colleen brought in her COMPLETED professional tote.  Notice the fussy cutting on the pockets. Great job Colleen.

Professional Tote - side one

Professional Tote - Side Two

This is her SECOND professional tote. Do you get the feeling that Colleen doesn't do subtle????   I love it!!!

Then we had show n tell for Tonga Rhapsody. This one is strictly pieced.

Tonga Rhapsody by Wing and a Prayer

The original was done in batiks and most of the group are using batiks. Bottom line - they look awesome and can't wait to see this quilt done. I love the setting - so different from the usual!!!

Lynne

Marion

Linda

Carrie

Linda

Erica

Susan

Lynn

Lynne was so excited to show us some non-Tonga show n tell. This is from a project that she resurrected - I believe the project had moved to the closet and then to the basement and now it is back in the forefront - hopefully to be done soon!!!

Two cat blocks - see how she fussy cut the fabric for the bodies

BUT - she had originally sewn on buttons or something for the eyes. NO - she took all that off and used an embroidery design and machine embroidered the faces onto the cats. Now that is TALENT!!!   Lynne - they look absolutely awesome and can't wait to see the finished quilt.

Cat's face machine embroidered on the block

And there is still more!!!!   I had another applique class that same afternoon. This time the project was Silent Night by Normal Whaley.

Silent Night by Norma Whaley

Marion

She used a lot of ultra suede, felt and wool on the little bits

Shoot - forgot her name!

Jennifer

Well that is an amazing array of show n tell.

If you think back to the article - I think these multi day classes are very satisfying to the students (and certainly to me) because we get to share the experience of making a project with others. You are not doing it alone.

"We consume experiences directly with other people," says Gilovich. "And after they're gone, they're part of the stories that we tell to one another."


As long as people sign up for these classes - I will continue to teach them. Already got some great ideas lined up for 2016 (I know - it is just madness!!!). But if you have something you would really like to make or that you bought the pattern and have no idea where to start - let me know. I'll see if it can be worked into the schedule.

We are also putting together schedules for the fall line-up of regular classes so if there is something you want let me know.


Also a BIG HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has donated items for M's fashion show. We are still looking for things  - let me know if you have something and we can arrange pick-up.

On that note - I am out of here. Got a list, got a schedule and I don't have a lot of room for error or messing around.

Have a great day!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!

There is a light at the end of the tunnel...................

I am happy to report and my thumb is as well (it is getting pretty sore) that I am ALMOST done - well still about 3 - 4 more hours of correcting my mistake and then it will be over.  I can't wait as that seems to be weighing on me. Once it is done, I hope the flood gates will open and I can move on.  Not that I haven't been working on other stuff when I take a break.

Scraps and more scraps!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is what I found in the latest scrap bag.

Lots of cut offs to make half square triangles. There is enough there and they are bigger than the ones from binding strips so it might make a small memory quilt. 

Also found this sort of shiny knit fabric - looks like snake skin!!!   Well - it is chopped up and gone. 

Into the pet mat

Someone and for the life of me I can't remember who, but that is probably best. This is NOT a bag of scraps. Oh no - there is a LOT of valuable strips in the bag. Bright strips that will make an awesome kids quilt. The donor even said when she handed it to me that I would probably have fun with it, but wasn't something she wanted to deal with. No problem!!!!!

The rest of these pictures are from Thursday Therapy last week.  Looking for a cool new toy????   Look at this - do you know what it is????

Any ideas?????

It is Mary's little RED wagon - a FOLDING little red wagon!!!!   I love it!!!!!   There are many times when I could use that to get loads of crap from the car to a meeting or whatever. May have to look at getting one. 

Mary was working on a UFO and she had her blocks laid out. Love the colours!!!!!

Cathy was working on her mystery quilt - 

Anita was working on her Welsh whole cloth - it is stunning

Looking great -

Virginia and her cute little appliques for a border for a child's quilt - those circles are PERFECT!!!!   She used Karen K Buckley's Perfect Circles to make them

And look at that crisp clean edge of her applique.  I LOVE IT!!!!!

All her bits ready to stitch down - that is a LOT of leaves. 

Remember the other day when I was experiencing screwdriver envy?   Diane had come to a free motion class and brought with her, the cutest little orange screwdriver. Well - a quick trip to Home Depot and now I have not one, but THREE of the little screwdrivers!!!!!   They were $4.99 - great to tuck in a purse or project box.

Mini screwdrivers from Home Depot

Wow - always so much show n tell and I am still way behind in getting the pictures posted. Well about one week.

It's embroidery club and while they are stitching away, I'll be doing some correcting.

On that note - have an awesome day - it is going to WARM today.


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!