brights

hard to get wordy when you are using a cell phone to blog. And no auto capital is a pain.

Suffice it to say that we are having a fabulous  time. getting  loads done even though I brought lots of yardage which I never do. so I've been cutting and cutting. got loads of borders and bindings done.

I'll share it all with you when I have a decent keyboard. the others have been working on bags. many bags.

today is going to be a fun day. starting several new projects with the new Northcott brights. Stonehenge  Brights that is. 6 different colors. five gradations of each. ask your local store to get them. they are very yummy.

on that note. I've  got some subcutting  to do and then to the sewing  machine I go.

have a great day

ciao!!!!!!!

Just catching up!

Here are some random photos from the last couple of days.  And if I don't type the text NOW - I will be trying to do this on my cell phone.

I am about to leave for my retreat - but trying to get some blog content for you to keep amused while I am away.  And OK - so I just like to write about random stuff.

This is a customer quilt that I finished the other day.

Customer quilt - DONE!!!!!

One of the Monday ladies just got back from Thailand and she brought these back. Now I like chocolate, but this looks very weird.  Green tea based I believe it was.  Actually - it was very good - light. All gone - thanks Jan!!!!

Green tea chocolate

 

So did you read Vicki's tip about cooking the squash. Makes sense which is the reason I tried it in the oven without taking out the innards. Squash are just the hardest darn thing to cut.  But the soup - oh - it might be gone by the time you read this.  Anyway - just to make a liar out of myself - a person who NEVER cooks - here is proof about my squash soup.

Squash soup

I had a few other vegetables sitting on the counter and in the fridge - I just cut them up and saute them and then threw in the squash and my soup was cooking.  Pureed it all when it was done - it is a tad thick - - I must remember to pick up another container of veggie broth.  For someone who doesn't cook - I rarely follow a recipe - well I use that as a guideline and then make it up.  The one area I am lacking in is the spices!!!

Then I was on a roll. There were a bunch of apples (that I didn't buy) but they needed to be dealt with.  I thought apple crisp - so yes - I cut the apples up. Couldn't find the cinnamon (used nutmeg - which isn't the best, but better than nothing) and made apple crisp.

Apple crisp

 So yes - I do cook from time to time - but it's not my priority.


Here is a sneak preview of one of my projects - a panel.  I saved the two end panels - the long skinny ones, but now that I see this picture - I wish I had of saved the long one on the left and the bottom one second from the right.  Crap - too late now.  It's ready to be sewn and there's no going back.  Ah - another experiment.  Forget sewing ANY projects - it's all experimenting now.

Panel to do something creative with

And that John Deere stuff just won't go away.   I was getting the last of the bits prepped for sewing.  I still had some to cut.  This border print was going to be too small for what I needed so off to my personal stash and found a matching solid.  Can you believe how close the match is.  See that top row of green - that is pieced in - NOT John Deere fabric at all.

John Deere border print

See - that top piece is pieced on but the match is perfect

And I managed to get the stuff back into the battery drawer.  There are way too  many chargers on the left so that will have to be sorted through one more time.  See Donna - that is what happens - I get things organized better, but not perfect.  I need to live with the situation for a bit before I come up with another great idea and then I am off again!!!

Battery drawer

On that note - I am out of here -

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


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!

What's with the dirty hands.................

What is this all over my hands????  any guess as to what this is

I was chatting with Ghazal the other say. I gave probably  butchered  the spelling  of her name. 

anyway she had some indigo dyeing. and was showing us a table runner she had made. 

hey I have  some indigo  that I dyed years ago. opened the bag and wow. hasn't  been washed and that diet on my hands is indigo dye. very potent stuff. 

having a blast at the retreat. I'm  in slow motion  mode. just working on borders. straight borders. mitered borders.  on my last quilt that needs a border then time to play

have a great day

ciao

What to do when I'm away................................

It's finally here - it's the day to leave for the retreat.  And guess what - Yep - I was up and cutting for more stuff to take.  Heck - I even brought yardage with me.  I never do that.

You see - it's that damn job of mine.  They give me all this yummy fabric to work with - then before I can even calm down from that --there is more coming down the pipeline and well - I'm going to be in over my head before I know it. Oh let's face reality - I'm already in so deep - they might as well bury me in the stuff.  But I'll go happy!!!!


Anyway - I was yakking about Steam a Seam the other day and Daphne Greig (who is an awesome quilt designer - I've known about her for years and have made several of her patterns and have several of her books or is that one?  - I don't know - but there is one book at least).  Well she designs for Northcott as well and I got to meet Daphne when we were at Market.

Daphne has put a review of Steam a Seam on her blog about the NEW version of Steam a Seam.  The stuff I showed you the other day was NOT the final product.

Check out her review!!!!


Also check out Vicki's comment yesterday about how to cook squash. I love it - and her comment was so desciptive but I know what she means.  Cutting a squash - well read the comment and get your cape and put your tights on if you don't follow her tip!

I shall try to put something on the blog while I am away.  God forbid - Shirley will never get up, Susan can't relax over coffee and how many other countless lives will be disrupted!!!!

Oh Anita - I heard you bumped into one of my new friends at Northcott - yes - it is a small world.


On that note - I have a TON of stuff in the hall way that needs to be in the car and still packing - I better take some clean underwear - why do we always say clean underwear - of course - we wouldn't take dirty underwear with us. Weird!!!  And I have one more quilt to pull off the wall - doing a trunk show as well.

More details to follow.     and if you need to get in touch (which I know you don't!) - leave a comment -those comments know how to find me - e-mail does not!


Have an awesome day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!

The MANIACS at Monday!

I miss the sewing days on Monday, but I am still able to "attend" in a manner of speaking.  The keeper of the key - is an early bird - much earlier than I ever was and so I can arrive about 8 AM.  A few of them arrive shortly thereafter. If I leave at 9:30 - I am able to make it to work by 10 AM - an arrangement I worked out with the powers that be at work.  It just gives me an opportunity to keep in touch with friends and it is all in the name of research.

Part of my job is keeping up with what's happening in the quilt world. So yes - research it is.

However from time to time - I get to spend an entire day with the group. Such was the case last week when I got to take a sewing machine and projects of mine and sewed all day. It was pretty exciting and nice to catch up with the others that are not so early in the morning.

Here are a few pictures of what they were working on...................

Mary and her Itty Bitty blocks from Quiltmaker magazine

This was a year long project and every first Monday of the month a new block was published.  Yes - I did some, but haven't worked on it in ages.  Best to try again?????

Maria making autumn table runners

 She was making independent leaves and once they were finished, the leaves got arranged and sewn together to make a leafy table runner.


Claudette had taken a class on scrap quilts and she was working up a storm with her scraps.

Scrap quilts in the works!

Elaine S had collected all 15 blue and white block kits from the July Shop Hop and she is almost finished all of them.

July Shop Hop blocks

I can't remember whose this is.  Was that Judith's or was it Vivenda's?  They were both sitting at the same table. Anyway - I think it is actually a toy and they are using it as a pin cushion.  Pretty cute!

Nifty pin cushion that is actually a toy!

Judith is almost always doing some hand work although she is pretty handy with the sewing machine as well.  After finishing her yo-yo quilt, she is now working on this block which involves a circle and a square and hand stitch the folded over edges of the circle onto the square. I have no idea what this is called. Ooops - I have the pattern sitting on my desk - I better check so I am in the KNOW!!!

Hand project by Judith!

Sharon was working on a wall hanging for her grandaughter.  She quilted it and bound it the same day!!!

Wall hanging - Just Dance

And then there is Tish.  She doesn't let anything get in her way so when she discovered she had left her quilting gloves at home - no problem. She whipped out her fingerless gloves/mittens and worked away.

I love how she sets the speed of her machine to a speed that is very calming (well the noise is). Then she uses her Stop/Start button and away she goes.  So steady!!!   Love it!

Tish quilting with her new quilting gloves

Karen - ah Karen.  I love her!!!!!   Well besides the fact that she is a nice person, look what fabric she was making her Lover's Knot project out of?????   Yep - that would be Porcelain Blue by Northcott.  I always associate this color with Northcott.  It is a very popular color.

Karen's Lover Knot project

 Joyce was working on One Block Wonder.  I always love this quilt - three different ways to try those blocks!!!  It's always a pleasant surprise at the end.  Love it!!!!

One block Wonder by Joyce

And how did this happen???  Mary got TWO projects in. I always thought that she was a bit agressive!!!!  Oh Mary - what am I going to do with you?

Table runner by mary

 Vivenda was also working on the Lover's Knot project. She choose a Christmasy theme and those blocks are looking awesome.  Keep it up and that project will be ready for the Christmas table!!

Vivenda Lover's Knot

Still don't have a picture to show you of what I did that day - well I did get my flannel quilt sewn together - the one that still needs borders and that will happen tomorrow.   As for the little bag - I swear I took a picture, but nope - there is nothing in the camera.  I guess I will have to take one.

The other day Donna asked me or made a comment that I always seem to be tidying and organizing.  Now that she mentions it - yes I am. Ok - here's the scoop on that. For many years our family collected stuff. It came into the house but it would appear that not much was going out. While a good part of it got put away, much did not. So there is a LOT of stuff to go through.  However - compared to a pack rat - we are the poor country mice with few possesions.  But still - there is stuff.

Often times the stuff just needs to be sorted and put away.  That means one has to find a home for it. Some times the stuff has to be thrown out. And sometimes - it is a question of putting like things together so they can be dealt with another time.  My biggest problem in all this - is that I never finish anything.  Like I said yesterday - I pulled the kitchen apart in January and there are still about 5 boxes of stuff in the dining room that I never dealt with. The batteries just got fixed up the other day.  So those boxes are still cluttering up the dining room.

It is an on-going battle, but the good news - I am WINNING.  The house looks in much better shape than ever (despite the huge mess still in the hallway) - at least the upstairs hallway which was equally as bad is pretty much clear!

Well - I see I have to run and get dressed or I'll be off to work in my PJs which might not be a good thing!!!!


Have an awesome day - did I say how much I love going to work?  I know - you are rolling your eyes and saying - enough already!!!!  Can't help it!

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

Now why didn't I think of that?

OK - so maybe I do cook from time to time.  If you read my blog yesterday, I made it sound like I never cook and well - I do from time to time.  I just don't get any pleasure in cooking and little in eating (unless it's chocolate or candy!). It's just one of those things that has never interested me and likely never will.  I eat well - don't get me wrong - I just don't cook anything other than very basic stuff.

I would NOT cope well in our US office - they have cook offs every week.  They pick a dish and everyone brings in their variation of the dish.  Now because there is fun involved and I know they would appreciate all the dishes -I think I could get into that. But when you have a family that doesn't like this, doesn't like that - doesn't eat this - no one appreciates what you do - so why bother.

However yesterday I did actually start some soup from scratch!  Yep - I've put myself down to bring squash soup for one of the lunches at the upcoming retreat and I had put that task off long enough.   Normally when I make squash soup - the one time per year! I cut the squash open and take out the innards and then bake it.  I was researching on the internet for recipes - god forbid that I use the same one twice!  And someone mentioned that they baked the squash first and then took the innards out.

I've now tried it both ways and although it is HARD to cut that darn squash open when it is raw - I think it is much less messy to cut it open, remove the innards and then bake it and remove the skin than to do it the other way around.  Well - it was worth a try, nothing lost and my squash got baked.  Now to whip up the soup tonight.

I have taught a LOT of bag classes and I've fused a LOT of Decor-bond and Fusible Fleece in my day.  Sometimes the fusing process works well and sometimes it doesn't.  When I was in Sara Lawson's camera bag class at Market, this subject came up. One of the store owners said that she uses her big Elna Press.  NO WAY!!!!!   I have one and the thought never occurred to me to use it for fusing interfacing and other products.

When I got home, I found a nice simple pattern on the internet and thought - here is a great fast project to experiment with.

Now to dig the Elna Press out.  Can you see it hiding in the middle of the picture - right beside the sewing machine cover just above the orange throw that still has the wrappings on!  But we are not here for that - we want that press.

Can you spot the Elna press????

 Oh my - it has sat for a little bit - look at the coating of dust on it!!!!

A tad dusty!

Now to plug it in and remember how to use it. Look at that nice pressing surface!

Pressing surface of the Elna press

I cut the pieces of the bag, cut the fusible fleece (this smaller bag is a great way to use up those smaller pieces that I've been hanging onto!)

And it didn't take too long to figure out how to heat up the press.

Fusing with the Elna press

It did take a bit of experimenting for how long to fuse and what temperature to use.  And my decorator fabric is very hard to fuse at the best of times.  This is that outdoor fabric so very coarse and not nice, but again - using up scraps to make cute bags.  Didn't cost a penny!

Fusible fleece fused to the outer bag parts

Oh shoot - that's the end of the pictures!   I prepped all the pieces and then took it to Monday last week.  I'll get the camera card into the computer tonight and edit some more pictures so I can show you.  The bottom line, the Elna Press is now sitting on one of the work tables.  I love it and I will definitely use it again!!!!


Amazing how many times we buy a tool because we think it is going to be great. This press was actually purchased for DH so he could iron his shirts.  He used it for a while, but prefers a regular iron. So I inherited it and never really used it.  I'm thinking it will be awesome for fusible applique as well. Got some of that to play with later this week.


Speaking of fusibles, I have several fusible applique projects on the go.  I am good to get the first block or two done and then - POOF!  The project gets shelved.  But I am NOT going to let that happen to this new one.  So the other day when Sharon was so early for Misty Pines class - I dug out some fusible web (the NEW Steam a Seam) and proceeded to trace the designs.  Seriously????   (now I do believe this problem has already been solved),  but the product comes sandwiched between TWO papers - one is mat and one is shiny.  You would think you would trace on the mat side - which I did. Only to realize that the mat side was not really adhered to the fusible webbing and in fact, I needed to trace on the shiny side.

Sure - with what??????  I tried (and knew they wouldn't work - but tried anyway) - pencils, pens, and other various tools.  The only thing that worked was a Sharpie and the only one I had handy was a big one.  Thank goodness none of these pieces are small and detailed.

Tracing designs onto the fusible web with a Sharpie

You can barely see the lines once it is ironed to the fabric. Shiny side??????   Seriously????

You can barely see the lines

 There is enough of a line that you can see - but I believe that problem was fixed.  I hope someone got fired for that mistake.  They were having issues with the product and then you screw up again?????   Fortuantely I didn't buy much of the "new" version to try.


Remember the other day when we were sewing Misty Pines and I was telling everyone to label????   Well - I would just like to add that when labelling - it is a good idea to make sure the label is meaningful. I found this label on my sewing table the other day and what exactly does it mean?????

What is the meaning of this label???

Out of context - it is meaningless.  But I remembered that it came from my Misty Pines kit where the bag with fabric number 3 was missing.  I had removed it to find another scrap (that I got from Mary) and in order to remind myself that number 3 was missing -I wrote this note. But I must have removed the note when I replaced Bag number 3.


On that note - I am out of here.  Got loads to do at work today and I must get the day started.


Have an awesome day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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

I can conquer the world!!!!!!

Ever have one of those days when you can do just about anything?  Well I've had a couple of days like that.

I am tired of all the junk in our house. Granted - we are not in too bad of shape - we do have a couple of problem areas and there is the studio - which isn't even coming into the picture this round.

I have been packing, pitching and purging, folding and sorting my little heart out. Things I don't want upstairs - I pitched over the railing to deal with rather than carry it all down stairs. Now of course - I can't just heave everything over the railing. There are limits!

While I have been dealing with physical things - I've also been thinking about what I do.  Everyone says that  "I am so busy" and to be honest - I'm very tired of hearing it!  It isn't that I'm so busy - it's that I ENJOY pretty much everything I do so I make it all sound like fun even though some of it isn't.  I'm not busy  - I'm active - I have gotten up late the last two mornings, walked Little Sammy, read my current novel, did a bit of sewing, - that is NOTHING MORE than most of you do. I never cook, I never clean - I pay for that to be done because I hate doing it.  It is how I present my day in writing that makes it seem like I am so busy.

It's not only that you think I am busy - I have adult ADHD or whatever.  I can't focus, I can't sit in one spot for too long - that isn't busy - that is just active. There is a difference!

So next time you think - WOW - she is busy - think about how much you do in your day!!!  You probably do the same - just at a slower pace and you do boring things like house work - I haven't done house work in my entire adult life!!!!! Well not much anyway - I do vaccuum from time to time and I do MY laundry.


Anyway - enough of that - we have things to do, stuff to fold, and pitch, etc.

And laundry - don't get me started on the laundry.  Towels that have sat for weeks, a couple of mats that needed to be washed - well today is the day.  However this is what happens when you can't focus.  I put the first load in the dryer, walked Little Sammy, then put the clothes in the dryer. I am now making breakfast and wondering why I can't hear the dryer. Don't tell me there is a problem?  OH - I also took a load of clothes out of the dryer and forgot to put the new load in! DUH!!!!   See - no focus!

This is what my hallway currently looks like.  The recycling bins are in the hallway slowly getting filled with stuff I find around the house. There is a load of stuff to take to Goodwill - I must load the car tonight and find a depot close to work to get rid of the stuff.  That stuff has sat in my office for months - time to say BYE BYE.  Plus there is stuff in the garage - it's got to go!

I found stuff in the office that needs to be put in the luggage closet upstairs, and there is stuff that needs to go to the studio in the basement.  Oh yes - it's up and down the stairs with stuff!!!!!

The hallway this morning!

And I think it all started with the batteries.  Actually - I am NOT good with this clean up thing at all.  I completely emptied the kitchen in January and still haven't deal with all the stuff.  We have a drawer where we keep all the batteries and charging cords. Well - there are a LOT of batteries. Why?  I've no idea. But I have a big bag that need to be dropped at the recyling depot.

I also needed to find a flashlight (that works) so I can be tidy when I take Little Sammy for her walk at night. Hard to find the poop in the dark!

The batteries are still on the counter - but I hope to get to them today.

The batteries

I tend to work in spurts on this cleaning thing.  But the more I clean, the better I feel and the more energized I am.  Less stuff in the house - means less stuff to manage.  Less stuff to manage means more time to do things I want.  So yes - I am in a pitching and purging mood.

The office is really the worst spot and I did clean out some stuff this morning but there is more so I hope the pitching and purging fever continues until I can get it all done. Just keep loading up that car with loads of stuff and it will happen.

I can't imagine what it will be like to finally (after how many years) to actually have NOTHING in the house that we don't want or don't use.  That would be like winning $60 million in the lottery. Well not quite - but wow - that would be amazing.

I have a goal and all I need now is time and focus!

As for the pitching in my head - well I am making decisions about that as well.  You see, yesterday I had two short classes to teach and then the rest of the day was MINE.  I have NOTHING on my calendar today.  I mean I have loads to do, but no one to see, no one coming to see me. That is such a fabulous feeling.

So - I have decided that I will no longer do any fund raising days and no more sit n sews.  It required a lot of planning and then took up many days. There was paperwork to follow up on and well - the original purpose was to get on my bike and ride in these events. Instead - I am just going to ride my bike!!!!   However - if you want to sew with me - you are more than welcome to book a day and come here to sew. Actually I would love it because it makes me focused - otherwise - I'm flitting and fluttering. The door is always open for those that want some help or just for a social sewing day. But I'm NOT organizing anything.

As for teaching - I am going to continue with my two short classes once a month at Ruti's - that goes until the summer of 2016. I have a once a month evening class at Sew n Serge - that goes until April. I have committed to two short classes at the Hobby Horse starting in January and two short classes at Sew Sisters also starting in January.  I am not sure if I will teach in the afternoon of those two days - I will see - I might since I am already there. I will continue to do customer quilts for people - but that is only one or two a year - no big deal. As for the long-arm - I will do the occasional quilt for my existing customers.  No new customers and no custom quilting.  I have a few quilts that are waiting to be done - no new ones coming in - so my guess is that that will just go away and then I get to quilt my own.  WOW - won't that be nice. Let's see - oh yes - I will organize two retreats per year - I like to get away and sew. Other than that - I only have my job and NOTHING ELSE to do!!!!!   You see what I mean about busy?????   If I lived by myself on a desert island - I would be always be doing something - even it if was reading a book or writing my memories with tree sap on a palm frond - that is just me.  

Oh yes - I forgot QUILTSocial - yes - I am continuing with QUILTSocial. I love the writing and the experimenting with the new machines. Can't give that one up.

So let's see what I got done on my BUSY day yesterday!  Oh yes - I finished a quilt for a customer.  We choose an over all design on an embroidery quilt and it looks awesome.  Just have to trim this and it's ready to go.

Customer quilt - DONE

 Linda stopped by to show me her Misty Pines - she was in the first class.  Looks awesome. We chatted about the quilting and now that she has backing and facing - she is ready to get it finished!!!!

Misty Pines

I am prepping a few more things for the retreat. Remember these blocks from PEI???   Actually this has been an ongoing project for a long time.  It started as a sample for a new ruler.  Not content to just have ONE sample block - NOPE - I have to make an entire quilt!!!!   And now that I am NEVER doing that kind of teaching again - there will NEVER be blocks or quilts like this!!!!!!!

Ten blocks

I cut fabric for ten more blocks and they are now sitting in the project boxes for the retreat.

Stuff prepped for the retreat

More stuff for the retreat

This box went to PEI with me. It never got unpacked!!!!   I just threw that flannel quilt on top with all the bits needed to finish it.  What would be really great is if I could make a dent in the box this retreat. We'll see.

Anyway - I have loads I want to get done today and you know what they say - strike while the iron is hot.  My manic state will only last so long and the more I pitch and purge when I'm in the mood - well actually I have to quilt this morning and then onto pitching and purging!!!

On that note - have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!


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