The Show is over

Sigh. The show is over and boy am I glad.  Let me back up a bit. As I mentioned a while back I was going to buy a midarm and frame from a friend from guild. Well I did. I worked until 8pm Wed night. On Thursday morning  I went to her house and we took the frame apart so that it was in sections that could be transported. When we were almost done I called DH and he rented a van from Home Depot and came over and loaded it up. We got home and unloaded it. I rested for a while then started to put it back together. DH was helping me get the machine onto the frame and he was on one side I on the other. He says "what is dragging?" So I move forward to see, trip over the other part of the frame, fall and in the process bend one section of the frame. (Not to mention serious bruises on my leg, arm and hand). Have I mentioned that I am a bit of a klutz? I don't think I need to tell you how upset I was. My DD#2 is helping me look for a replacment part. Until then it is just a large mess.

Moving on... Our booth at the show was only a single and knowing how much merchandise we took  I did not take my camera. Good thing too, because there was barely room to squeeze in my purse. The booth looked great and I had a really good time being at the show. The only bad part about working the show is that you don't actually see the show. Well my plan was to go back on Sunday and see the quilts. I woke up on Sunday with a severe neck ache and headache.I have disc issues in my neck and it doesn't take much to get it in a knot, literally. Needless to say, I did not get back to the show.  Some blogging buddies of mine did get photos and posted them so if you would like to see some quilts check out A Sentimental Quilter and Pieceful News blogs. ( I follow them so you can just click and go). The boss was going to take photos of the booth so I will try and get one to share later. It was the last time that Chicago will hve the show. Next year it will be in Cinncinati. Word is that Chicago is too expensive.

BTW just want to thank you all for your well wishes for my daughter, she is on the mend  and is feeling much better than a week ago. She was able to keep up with her classes for the most part so that is good.

I can't report any progress on my quilting projects this last week, but I will be back at it as soon as I rest up.

Happy stitching everyone

Show, kits, and mono?

No, the mono isn't me. DD#2 has mono but she is trying to keep up with her classes as best she can.  The joys of communal living. She called me last week complaining of severe fatigue and  tummy ache. The tummy is better but the fatigue lingers. She made a trip to the student health center where they took blood and gave her some antacids. Her question to me was how is that gonna help me with being tired? Poor baby... I hate that she is so far away and I can't be there to take care of her. Hopefully she will feel better soon.

The Internaionl Quilt Festival preview night is tomorrow night so the boss will be there today setting up the booth. Hopefully she won't leave a long list of things to do back at the shop. Getting ready for the show has been very tiring. We have cut fabric non-stop everyday. Now I LOVE to cut fabric and I really love to cut fat quarters when new fabric comes in, but non-stop all day is a bit much even for me. LOL.  On Monday the shop is closed but we were there cutting fabric for a few hours. We finished up a few little projects and ran while we could.

I will be working at the store today, the show Friday and at the store on Saturday. After that hopefully we will have a little respite before the next event.
While I was at the shop Monday I took photos of the toothbrush rug. It is the Aunt Philly's rug pattern and I teach classes on it.

I also took photos of the first 3 mini's that I did for our "mini monthly" that we do at the shop. We do this like a BOM only instead of a block you do a mini quilt. We are doing the Patch Abilities series this year. You saw the hearts a while back. My photo of the 3rd one didn't come out so maybe next time.

I better go get ready to head off to the shop. I think the show will be fun, but I will really be glad when it is over! Hopefully I will get some photos  of the show to share with you ! Later... Happy stitching.

Stitchin and coughin

I hope that everyone who celebrates Easter had a wonderful day. I have had a wicked cough that I can't get rid of, so I stayed home instead of going to  my Aunt's. My hubby worked, one daughter has a bad cold so she stayed home, the other daughter just went back to school after spring break so she did not come home. A  good day for most of us to rest.

I have been working on a few things ( surprse). I have the blocks completed  for a quilt I made with my "clean out" FQs. It is another Terri Atkinson pattern called Birthday Presents. I love her patterns, a lot of them are FQ friendly which is good for a FQ addict like me. All of her patterns are easy.

The little bee that I am in did our star block swap last Thursday. I think I know what I am going to do with mine, but I need to ponder it a little longer.  I guess we will have to wait and see.

I finished this bag. I really don't like the handle so I might have to take it off and modify it somehow. It will be gifted (Christmas) so at least it will be done on time.

I took a picture of one of the gold and white table runners that I finished. I gave one to my friend on Saturday. LOL. Just a little late for Christmas hu? Oh well... I will be ready this year.

I am also working on a 9 patch lap quilt, a small log cabin, and my BOMs.I am also working on the scrap challenge (below). I did finish knitting a bag and a sweater, but they are not yet complete so I will show them when I get them finished off.  Happy Stitching.

Bits and pieces

Yesterday I taught the second session of the beginning quilting class. Two of my students left with completed tops! (I am not even going to go into the fact that I left the camera at home again) and the other student elected to make her quilt much bigger, so she had all of her blocks together in rows and four rows sewn together. It was really fun working with them. They wanted to know when the class will be to quilt their tops. I guess the boss better get someone else to do that class because you all know how many unquilted tops I have stuffed into my sewing room. LOL

I have worked on my BOM from the store. My wool block is done. I cut the fabric for my swap blocks. I finished a purse. I cut some other fabric for a couple of quilts from some old fabric that has been hanging around here too long. I am very afraid that I am going to have to join the Snowbound BOM, those snowmen are so darn cute. I have tried to resist, but I don't think that I can ( I think I might know why I don't get my tops quilted...LOL).

Both of my girls were here this evening and it is the hubby's day off, so we had a rare occasion, a family dinner.Even more rare I cooked. The girls are vegetarians so it is always a challenge to feed everyone. I made matzo ball soup one pot with chicken stock for us and one pot with veggie stock for them. We also had "fake" chicken strips ( textured protien), mashed potatoes and steamed peas.

Enough for now. Happy sewing everyone. Photos soon.

Workshops were fun

It has been a busy few days for me. I mentioned that Karen Witt was coming to our guild on Thursday for a presentation and then doing a wool workshop on Friday and another on Saturday. Way back in July of 2009 when our speakers were announced I signed up for both of Karen's workshops. They were both fun and Karen is a very down to earth wonderful person.

 Karen's lecture was very interesting. She really has a great way of presenting the history without being too "history class". Just the right amount of information to be interesting and to make me want to learn more.
Friday's workshop was a wool candle mat.We had a choice of design, either pumpkins or gerniums in baskets. I selected the geraniums. Now did I take my camera? Of course not. Duh. I will take a picture when it is done so you can see it.  When the workshop was over I headed directly to the mall where my daughter's bus  stops.  My daughter came home for spring break. My other daughter came over to see her. It was great to have my girls here together even for a little while.

Saturday, National Quilting Day, I woke to SNOW again. I am glad that I had the second workshop scheduled for the day because that weather wasn't going to make me smile. One of the participants baked brownies and we had fabric so all was well. The project the second day is a pattern called "Tree of Life". Now do you think that I remembered the camera? Noo. I am not a camera person so it rarely occurs to me to take the camera. I like having photos I just am not very good at taking them. (At least with the digital camera I don't have to pay to develop a bunch of pictures of my thumb). LOL. I promise I will charge that thing up and get some photos of the projects.

Yesterday I worked on the workshop projects a little. I also went over to guild buddy's house to look at a mega-quilter that she is selling. I quess it would be considered a mid-arm. I am so excited about the possibilty of getting her machine. I have visions of completed quilts instead of piles of tops. Wouldn't that be exciting!!!? I will keep you posted.

This week my beginning quilters have their second class. They will be putting their quilt top together, hopefully we can get them all done. I am looking forward to helping them get their first top done. (Hey maybe I will remember the camera).

Today I have a Dr. appointment so I better get going. Have a great week everyone.

Another vending event is over for us at the shop. Last week-end we vended at a local Quilt show. I did not see the show, I was working at the shop.  Our next vend will be huge at the International show in Rosemont, Il. I am resting my cutting arm right now. LOL.

Stilll have not done anything about my sewing machine, but my little Brother has been humming along nicely. I will go on line and look for the nearest dealer. If there isn't one reasonably close I have the name of a repair service that I can take it to.:)

I managed to get some sewing done. I got the borders on my Ode to the 30's BOM.  I got started on putting together a BOM from a couple of years ago. The blocks have been done and have been resting with the fnishing kit waiting for me to get to it. I still have to stitch the applique by hand or by machine.  Once I do that I still need to add another light border that will have applique in the corners and then another border of blue. I also pulled out a wool project that I started and stored, a penny rug that I finished. I am trying to get some WIP finished before I start new ones.  (My sister posted on facebook that she has ADOS attention deficit oooh shiny. Guess it runs in the family).

Went to bee last week and although a couple of members were not there we had a good time. I do not think any of us got any work done, but we did enjoy catching up with each other. Our star block swap  was delayed until next month when hopefully everyone will be there.

I taught another class on Wed.  It was the first session of beginners. We went through tools ( the basics) and how to cut  fabric. They cut fabric for their quilt which is a nine patch with an alternate block ( plain square).

They did really well strip piecing and sub-cutting their sections for 9-patch. Then they each made a couple of blocks before they left. They have to finish the blocks for next class , 18 blocks in total. Then at the next session we will put it together. The class sessions are 5 hours and there are two sessions two weeks apart. I took over the class from my boss, so I just had to go with  the plan she had in place.  Tomorrow I am teaching a tote bag. I hope that goes  well. 

This week it is time for quild again. Karen Witt is the speaker. I don't take classes too often beause I usually work on the week-end, but last summer when the speakers were announced I signed up for both of Karen's classes. On Friday I am going to a class on wool, the project is a small  table mat with geraniums on it. I love working with wool and the classes are always fun. Saturday the project is a  quilt called "Tree of Life" and it is probably a bigger project than I need right now, but I am excited  anyway. I will just think of it as a retreat.

Hope everyone has a great week and happy stitching.

Tension and other things

I started sewing early this morning and I wore out my machine! All of a sudden I started having some kind of tension problem. Man I hate when that happens. I am sure the poor baby needs cleaning, but the quilt shop where I got my machine is no longer in business. I have a Viking and the Jo-Ann's near me sells and services Vikings, but one of the customers where I work took her machine in and they told her it would be a month before she gets it back. No way! I simply can not live that long without the sewing machine. ( What would my sewing table look like by then!!??)
Luckily I do have another machine. I have an inexpensive Brother that I got because it has the blanket stitch on it. I have used it only once or twice because it takes me so long to get used to a machine that I just feel more comfortable on my Viking. Today the little Brother and I are getting acquainted. So far so good.

I don't know if you remember, but I mentioned a while back that I was in two BOM programs last year. You saw the Fiesta. Today I worked on the other one, Ode to the 30's by Lori Smith. I have the blocks together, just need to get some fabric for the borders and get them on.

I worked on my swap blocks and I just need to get the framing on them and they will be done. I also finished one of the bags that was on my cutting table. I confess that I put away a couple of the projects so it doesn't seem so overwhelming.

 

I work tomorrow and Thursday I have to take my older daughter to the hospital for an injection in her back. Sadly, the surgery she had in October did not take care of all of her pain. Please send her good thoughts on Thursday, she needs  them.

Have a good rest of the week and happy stitching