2014, how did that happen?

I do realize that we are nearly half way through January already, but let me say Happy New Year anyway. On New Year's Eve day I got the cold/flu that I had been fighting. Like BAM. I am finally starting to feel better. Of course I had big plans to get back to UFO busting and really finish some of those quilts. Might have to rework that schedule a bit. LOL

Just a quick catch up. After having foot pain for weeks after the quilt show in September, I went to the foot Dr. and found I had a stress fracture. I was in a post op shoe for 5 weeks and that wasn't doing the job, so I got a lovely boot. I wore that for 3 weeks before I got my foot liberated. It seemed like forever.

During this same time, DH left for Portland, Or to help take care of his mother. He was there for 2 months.While he was there both of our girls flew to Portland to see Grandma too. He came home the first Saturday in December and his Mom passed away December the 10th. I know he was glad that he had spent so much time with her.

Last January I started knitting for my co workers for Christmas. I made cowls and scarves for them. It felt good to have that much done since I spent so much time off the fractured foot. Shopping just wasn't on the approved list of activities. (Of course DH was gone so I couldn't even enlist his help.)  These a few of the cowls that were gifted.

I am once again joining in on Pat Sloan's UFO busting challenge for the year, so hopefully I can get a bunch of those tops quilted and done. Then of course there are the other UFOs, like unfinished BOMs. Why am I such a sucker for a BOM? They always seem so innocent. Just one block or two a month. Easy right? Only if you don't end up doing a half dozen or so. I am still trying to resist some new ones that are starting up. 

Stay tuned and see how many I end up working on. And if I make progress finishing those pesky UFOs.   

Happy stitching.

A little sewing

I have been just so bad about blogging. It seems like I am not getting much done so there is not much to blog about. I have been working on a few things so I will share those things with you.
Pat Sloan started a few projects rather close together and of course I wanted to do them all.
The one that has actually gotten worked on is a year in applique from Pat's book New Ideas for Applique . You know how I love a Block of the Month. The two most recent blocks:
Once in a blue moon

and Candy Corn Toss.

There is still a ways to go, we did not start at the beginning of the year. I am also working on her pattern "Traffic Jam" which was a free pattern Pat had in her newsletter. That I am working on as a leader and ender.  Hopefully soon I will have something to show on that project.

I as still working on the McKenna Ryan BOM at the shop. Here is the third block. I still need to get pictures of the next two. I am working on the last block then it will be time to get it all together.

We had gotten a book by Tula Pink in the shop 100 blocks and I wanted it, but I resisted. Then I found a sew along in the blogs and I caved in. I bought the book, raided my stash, and went shopping for more fabric. (And more and more, but I digress) True to form, I did not start right away. Wow does a week fly by fast. Before I knew what happened I was weeks behind. I made a plan. I worked on the current week's blocks and blocks from the beginning. In a few weeks I caught up. I won't show you all those photos but I will share a couple.

I bought a piece of pink foam insulation when I was doing my layout for the quilt show and I plan to wrap it in either batting or flannel and  nail it to the wall for a design wall. Any thoughts on what to use? Hopefully soon I can put up the Tula blocks and see how it is looking.

I am also cutting DD's quilt that has been on the to do list way too long. I really must get a handle on those pesky UFOs.

Later and happy stitching

A few of my favorite quilts

I arrived at the show very early on Friday just to make sure everything was ready to go at the mini auction. It was.  So I wandered around and looked at all the quilts. It is so sew inspiring to see the quilts that everyone makes. Some simple, some stunning, all beautiful!!
Some of my friend's quilts:
Marcia and I did this Block of the month last year. Hers is done, mine is in pieces. (Jo Morton pattern)

She also entered Raining Cats and Dogs by Bunny Hill. I did the embroidery, she did the rest

Jeannie did this beauty as a Block of the Month (through the mail) But she took it up a few notches

Look at that beading.

She also designed, stitched, and quilted this one.

Carol had a favorite of mine in the show, pattern was in APQ I think.

She also did these cute dresses.

I did have mini quilts in the auction. Does that count? Hu?

Happy stitching

Can't get the last picture to post, so no dresses this time.

The Quilt Show Unfolds

Last weekend our guild held it's quilt show "Our Quilts in Bloom". It is really fun to watch the show come together, even more fun if you are not the one putting it together ;).   My committee of one, me, was the Mini quilt Silent Auction. Thursday was set up day and Friday was opening day. On Thursday I hung 95 minis, with some wonderful volunteers. Then I went home to nap because I knew Friday would be a long day.
Here are the minis for auction

The show closed at 8 pm Friday night. The bidding on the minis closed at 7pm. We start a count down about a half an hour before which usually results in a mob of bidders returning to the table to bid one more time. Once the bidding closes we circle the last bidder and the amount. Then the crown surges forward to find all the bids they won. They take them to the cashier and then the cashier hands them off to one of the volunteers to pull the mini(s) off the board. The rest are taken down, pinned to the bid sheet and set aside. Then we hung 100 more mini quilts for Saturday's auction.  Then  Saturday we do it all over again.

I am now following up on all the minis that were won by people who were not at the show when the bids closed. Not my favorite part. But I can contact people in my jammies, and I did.

Will show you some quilts next post!
Happy stitching

Book Review

Bethany House publishers sent me a book to read. My part of the deal is that I review it on my blog. I chose "Rules of Murder" by Julianna Deering.
Let me first say that I am a life long fan of mystery series, Cherry Ames, Nancy Drew, Bobbsey Twins, to name a few. I grew older read more 'adult' mysteries. Can't get enough of them.

The back cover of this book says: "Introducing Drew Farthering.  From the tip of his black homburg to the crease in his Cheviot trousers, he's the epitome of a stylish 1930s English gentleman. His only problem? The body he just discovered."

I found Drew and his best friend, Nick likable, but maybe not really believable. That being said it didn't really bother me. I enjoyed the contrast of the English gentlemen and the American girls. The plot wasn't difficult to follow, but there were enough twists and turns to keep it interesting.Strange characters pop in and make you wonder hmmm?   A bit of romance, some danger, and of course murder to solve.  Enjoyable reading.

I plan to look for more by this author.

It doesn't seem possible that it has been so long since I posted anything. I am apparently getting old since I have been struggling with arthritis all summer. All year actually, but worse than usual this summer. Enough kvetching...;)

I promised that I would be doing a post about some great bags. I am a bit late for what I had planned to do, but the bags are still great.  While reading blogs I followed a link to  Sew Sweetness.com  and was just amazed. (I can't remember how to link) There are free bag patterns that are just so cool you want to make them right away. Then Sara started designing more bags that are available by PDF. Lots of great pictures and the instructions are clear and easy to follow. She has lots of bag testers and she shows all of their bags when she introduces a new pattern.

Not long after that I had the chance to meet Sara at Quilt Market in Houston. (And yes she is totally sweet). During that same time period we were expanding the shop to 3 times its original size. And by we I mean that I was there. Not actually doing any 'expanding'. The boss developed a plan to have a year of events to celebrate the expansion.

We had Karen Coombs do a trunk show and she taught a class the following day. She was great! Everyone loved the workshop. Our regional rep from Northcott came and brought a bunch of their quilt samples from market. Another great event ( I missed that one). We had a Moda rep talking about all that wonderful Moda fabric. Victoria Findley Wolf did a trunk show and a workshop the following day. She was a huge hit with everyone. So creative, and funny, and friendly.

In the middle of all this planning I asked Sara if she would do her interfacing lecture from Sewing Summit and then teach a bag class the next day. She said yes. I got to see her again when she came to discuss the details and bring some bags to pick a pattern from. We selected this bag..The Petrillo Bag. It has a cool separate pocket inside for your E-reader or Ipad. Still  lots of room for 'purse stuff'.
I missed her lecture, but got to be around for the workshop. (I was working so I did not get to take it).
Really great news from Sara is that she has started to print some of her patterns and they were picked up almost immediately by United Notion Distributors. And she has book coming out in November with all new patterns in it.

The bag
:

 

 

 

The Book:

 

 

In August I resigned from the shop. Since the expansion it is really busy and the pace is too much for me. My last day was August 31st. I will still be doing the Beginning Block of the Month that is in progress. I will also be finishing the McKenna Ryan pattern 'Heaven and Nature Sings' that is also being done as a block of the month.  I will catch you up on those next post.

There is still going to be an event at the shop in October that I will attend. I got the idea from a schoolhouse presentation and my friends at the shop made projects for the event. Now we wait until after some big vending the shop is doing in September and then we have a little fun.

More to come. ;)
Happy stitching

The week in review

Last week was a really busy one. It flew by in a nanosecond. OK maybe not that fast. No sewing happened at all either. My younger DD flew in from LA on Tuesday night. She came in to be a bridesmaid in her friend's wedding on Friday night.
We spent hours at a salon on Wed. getting DD's hair done. She has dark hair, but keeps it a very white blond color currently. When she called to schedule the appointment they said, oh no problem. We went there because our cousin works there and is a great colorist, but she was off that day and nothing else worked with the events surrounding the wedding. As we left it was sort of getting overcast. We went dress shopping for a dress for the rehearsal dinner. Later my other DD came over to practice doing wedding make-up.
Thursday we  woke up late and hung out and chatted until it was time for her to get ready for the rehearsal. After washing her hair she had what she described as a level 3 melt down. We had noticed that in places her roots looked a bit gold. Well.... it wasn't just in places. And gold roots and white hair is not a pretty look. She wore her adorable new dress and shoes. She wore a scarf around her head that covered the offending roots up front. While she was out I called my cousin and told her about the hair drama. She told me what kind of toner to get and what to do. Gulp. (Considering I have lots of pictures of me sporting very brassy blond hair I was scared).
Friday morning I shook DD out of bed early and we went to the beauty supply store for supplies. The nicest guy was working and he made sure we had everything we needed. (Except experience).
Back home I mixed the stuff and snapped on some gloves and got to work. I made her go shampoo a bit too soon so the roots were toned down but still a bit goldish. I reapplied and left the room. We waited the longest possible time and she showered and washed her hair again. It came out blond. The roots a bit darker than the rest of her hair but at least the same color. Crisis averted.
DD after the ceremony writing well wishes to the happy couple. Then taping her congratulations.

 

At the crack o'morn Sunday we were on the way to the airport so she could head back to LA :(

Later we went too DH cousin's home for a Father's Day celebration. Our Older daughter joined us there. This is the view coming out of the kitchen door.

A close up of the pool.

DD sitting on the diving board.

DD (on her phone) with the tennis court/basketball court behind her.

This week I need to rest up from last week.
;)
Happy stitching.