FUN and FRIVOLITY!!!!!

Twice a month, I host a Pampered Sit n Sew at my house. Each participant gets a big table to work at, I do all their pressing, make them lunch and do their seam ripping (if necessary!). I have been doing this for about five years or maybe it is six. Anyway, these events are my way of raising money for The Ride to Conquer Cancer.

Last year, I seriously contemplating NOT signing up for The Ride to Conquer Cancer. However when I got NUMEROUS queries about when the NEXT Sit n Sew was, I registered for the ride and the rest is history.

Yesterday we had a Pampered Sit n Sew. And you know what? I will continue them as long as people continue to sign up. It really is such a FUN day and yesterday  was no exception.

Oh my goodness - we talked about EVERYTHING. And I get to learn SO MUCH from the people who come. I just ask questions and WOW - I have much to learn!!!!

Thanks to EVERYONE who came yesterday and made it such a FUN FUN FUN day (even though they worked me off my feet!!!!)

Want to see what they worked on?  I swear there was smoke coming out the windows they were all working so hard.

Rose got out her scraps - in this case the cut offs from her backings (you know - those pieces left over after you trim your quilted quilt)- cut them into squares and made a baby quilt. AWESOME job Rose!!!!!   NO NEW FABRIC was purchased for this one

A pink one (same deal as above - cut from scraps) and I think she added about 1/2 meter of new fabric. 

I LOVE IT!!!!!!    I hope she feels the same satisfaction that I do after you make something from NOTHING.

Then she continued on this project which was a layer cake (and white background fabric) when she started.............

First round - then cut cut cut cut and ...........................

VOILA - are these not gorgeous or what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 I do believe that pattern is called a Disappearing Four Patch. Check out that link if you want to make one yourself. A GREAT way to use up a layer cake if you don't know what else to do with it.

Maureen was busy making the blocks for this months assignment on Rosewood Cottage. She made great strides - learning how to trim those quarter square triangles and we got her 1/4" set up and she was on a roll!!!    Great job Maureen!!!!!

Helen Anne was putting this quilt on the wall (and good thing because I cleared that design wall and NO ONE was using it!!!!)   Anyway as soon as she put up the blocks, I thought to myself - I LOVE the way those "long parts" change direction. Then she said "OH DEAR - I have made a mistake - they should all be vertical"   Well we all gave her our opinion (of course!!!) and she contemplated it (because it is her quilt after all) and she ended up leaving it this way!!!!!   The colouring of the quilt is GORGEOUS.    And NOT just because it has orange in it - I like the COMBINATION of colours!!!!!

For goodness sake - I even put one of the borders on the wall beside the quilt and THOUGHT I took a picture, but I did NOT!!!!!   It is VERY HARD to focus when you have six very talented ladies all busy working and well - I just forgot.  Oooops - short attention span to say the least!!!


You know that we are working on the Block of the Month and it is VERY hard to get pictures at the guild meeting. BUT two people were working on them yesterday so I got pictures.

Helen Anne (before she started on the orange/yellow quilt above got most of her block done for this month. She was short a couple of half square triangles so will have to finish the bottom part of the third block at home.

Helen Anne - red/white theme 

Ruth was also working on her Block of the Month

Ruth - blue/yellow theme!

They barely look like the same quilt!!!!!!!!!    And I over heard Ruth make a few comments about "oh - this isn't right". WELL - there is NO RIGHT or WRONG with this quilt. If you look closely, you will see how different they really are and you know what? - They are each gorgeous in their own right. I would prefer that NONE of the quilts be identical. I am so happy with the results. I can't wait to see them all finished!!!!!   And YES that includes mine which is sitting in the box.


Jan had been very busy cutting. Holy cow - she had been VERY busy.

She made a TON of half square triangles (they are about 7 or 8 inches square). The stack on the left is the half square triangles and the stack on the right is squares that need to be made into half square triangles. 

And what is she going to do with them?????

She has to make TWO curved seams on each (I think there are a total of 280 blocks!!!!)    But she has those curved seams down pat!!!!   Looks awesome Jan (and don't forget to OIL that machine!!!)

Jan's pattern came from a Marti Michell class that I have been teaching this past two years at Ruti's. There is ONE more class left - this coming Wednesday if anyone is interested. We have done some interesting things and learned TONS.


And how do you square up a quilt????

On the FLOOR of course!!!!

Sharron was trying to get one of her $10 quilts finished for the GRAND reveal next weekend. We did it as a quilt as you go and she felt that it was a bit wonky. We laid it out, got out the measuring tape, then cutting mats and big rulers and went to town. We did NOT have to trim much off and pretty soon - it was pretty square!!!!

Row by Row Christmas quilt (MODIFIED) - just needs binding!!!!   Hey Sharron - HAND WORK!

Sharron was also working on these black/white blocks. We did a batik exchange several years ago AND a black and white exchange. I think she did a great job of using them up!!!!

You see why I was exhausted - that was a LOT of pressing and at one point, I just couldn't keep up to them!!!!    But we had an AWESOME AWESOME day. Thanks to you all for making the day so much fun!!!!!

And if you think about it - the ladies who come to Sit n Sew are no dummies!!!   If they want to perfect that curved pieced seam - why not do it at a Sit n Sew? If they have trouble - there is someone (ME) to help them. Trouble with the 1/4 seam allowance? Well - we can fix that too. Not sure what is happening with your project - like what to do next? I've helped people through that issue as well.

Now it is time to make a new quilt for ME!!!!!!   I have so much bicycle fabric that I MUST get myself organized and make one. Rose brought these two fabrics for me!!!!

Oh oh oh - so excited - thanks Rose (I have other gifty things to post - I just never seem to have the camera in my hand when I see the gifty things - well I am going to have to make a point of getting them on the blog!!!!!)

If I didn't know better, I would have to say that Kaylee is at our house.   Look at the floor.............

Dog toys strewn all over

We have a toy box at the bottom of the stairs for the dog toys. Sammy couldn't care less unless it is her STRESS toy - which is usually a bear that she rips up. But Sparky - well Sparky likes to play with the toys. She doesn't play too often, but lately????   I don't know what has gotten into her, but she wants to play all the time!!!!!!!!!!!   And if I don't throw the first toy - she goes and gets another!!!!!    Just a big suck for attention.



I did get something done for myself yesterday. In the morning, the girls were NOT quite as prolific as in the afternoon, so I was able to get some half square triangles pressed and trimmed.

Half square triangles - trimmed!!!

Then once everyone was gone - I whipped out this quilt and put it back on the wall.

This is the quilt that we did in the workshop at the beginning of November. The blocks are done and there are just three seams across to get that part together. 

 And all from leftovers - well I did buy the background - the dark green. But I LOVE it. Now I have to decide on the borders. Do I add a light strip before I put on the final border????

Light strip??????

Without light strip

No light strip????

 Hmmm - I will have to contemplate that.


Now what about you?????   How is that CRITICAL BEFORE CHRISTMAS list coming along????  I have FOUR things on my list (four things of MINE that I want to get done). NO - I can't tell you what they are. But there are four (plus all the customer stuff to be done). Ooops - there are SEVEN things on the list. TWO must be done by next Saturday.

The tables in the studio are more or less clear and I am going to try and keep them that way until those seven  items are DONE. No distractions - we need some heads down focusing going on here!!!!


On that note - I am out of here as I have to get ready for my class this morning.


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


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