Our First Sew Play Day

6 of us met at The Gathering Place here in Milton for our first "friends" sew play day.  We had such a great time.  I took my camera along to get pictures, but we had so much fun, sewing, talking and laughing I forgot all about taking any pictures.  It was so enjoyable. Some were working on quilts, others did hand appliques, and another made a quilted toaster cover. 

How nice is this, you can do anything you want to work on, no specifics, no rules, no meetings, no motions and seconds of motions. How relaxing it was.

Before sewing 3 of us went to a little restaurant that opened this year, an old church turned into the restaurant, live plants shop and a specialty shop in lower level, which we didn't see, but will next time.  I'm sorry didn't get the name of the restaurant, had heard about this from others and we decided to try it out.  Very impressed, its kind of a of a ladies place, but there were a few gentlemen there. Very quaint and cute and the food is really good. Not a burger or fry cooking place.  Has Penni sandwiches, wraps, croissants, soups and some delicious looking desserts.

We are so looking forward to the next play day next month. We plan on meeting once a month and anyone is welcome to join us.

This morning I did manage to finish the Tshirt quilt for Nettie.

I used the wiggle line stitching.  I have found this works so much better than meandering, less chance of puckering and stretching.

I had to be very creative when sewing on the binding.  Nettie requested I do a machine binding for her. Using black binding and black thread, I begin, and before I'm finished I run out of black thread. Absolutely no extra thread, and I was determined to get it finished, she needed by today.  Having only one end  left to sew on, I came up with a brainstorm to use the thread from my Long Arm.  Now the spools on the LA are way too big for a standard sewing machine, so couldn't just put the spool on and go, no I had to move the LA to end of table pull the thread end off the back of the spool holder over to my domestic machine and thread it through the machine.  This means there is a thread approximately 3 ft coming from the LA to my sewing machine.  You know it worked. Broke the thread a couple of times, but got it sewn on.  I planned on doing a fancy stitch over the straight stitching, but decided to wait until I did purchase more thread.  Dee Dee went to Joanns yesterday AM, and picked some up for me before our sew day.  So this morning at 5am I did manage to do the fancy stitching.  It turned out just fine.

I can be very inventive when I need to be. 

The Jelly Roll 1,600 Quilt

I just had to share this, so much fun

Twin Turtle Quilts Shop

Took the 2 quilts to Twin Turtle Quilts Shop, owner: Teresa Popanz, located at 244 Allen St Clinton WI, where she is going to display and sell my patterns from her shop.

Grand opening for this shop is tomorrow through Oct 1st.  I plan on going over sometime this weekend and taking some friends with me.  This is a small but cute quilt shop, and  I'm certain she will do well with her shop.

My Pattern Forever Diamonds

Theresa Popanz, she told me this quilt took a second place at the Rock Valley Quilt Show this past summer.

Fast Patches

 She has "Fast Patches" pre cut appliques with pattern included in packet. Theresa said she came up with this idea about 5 years ago, pre cut these with her die cutter and package them with a pattern.  She tells me she has been very successful in selling these packets.  After seeing all of them I can see why.  They are just perfect to make small wall hangings or a large quilt with little work involved.  So if you want a quick appliqued piece, this is the way to go.  Theresa also designs and sells her own original patterns.

I hope you will visit her shop and visit with Theresa.

She also does long arm quilting (competition) LOL. She has a 12ft, and I only have the 10, so she has the capability to do Kings, which I cant.

We traded patterns, she purchased Floating Stars and I just had to buy 2 packets of her Fast Patches.  I was supposed to be getting rid of patterns, not buying more things for me to work on, but I just couldn't resist the Fast Patches.  Now to find the time to do something with them.  But that is for another day.

Another Productive Day

Breakfast with friends and then back to quilting.

Finished quilting the Winter Fabric Stepping Stones:

I cheated and machine sewed the binding instead of my usual hand sewing.  Have so much to get done in next few weeks, felt it was OK to do this. This is not going to be in any quilt shows, so OK by me it has machine binding.  Actually it turned out pretty nice, I used a decorative stich and I see nothing wrong with it.

Did manage to hand sew the binding Floating Stars tonight.

Saturday Ky came over and she managed to sew another bag.  I will post her bags as soon as I get some buttons sewn on them.  She is not comfortable with hand sewing, so I agreed I would do her buttons for awhile.  But one of these days she is going to have to do some of this work herself.  In fact, I think next Saturday would be a good day to start.

Just finished catching up on emails, visited my favorite website Connected Threadz to see what the girls have been up to today.  They have been busy as well.

Working extra hard doing above and beyond the usual with quilt show coming up and wanting to get quilts to display at Twin Turtle Quilts Shop in Clinton, it feels like I am burning the candle at both ends.  Lets hope all this hard work pays off in the near future. I also have to check in with Loose Threads, Mary Kay mentioned she wanted some of my quilts at her shop for an upcoming shop hop.

Tomorrow starting a Tshirt quilt for bff Nettie.

Does it sound like I am rambling.  I might be.  So many ideas and projects running through my head, and I want to get everything done all at the same time.  I know this cant be done, but that doesn't stop my brain from going on overload.

For now, "just breath" which I was reminded of by one of my CT friends. Good advise.  Think I should take it and breath slowly, get focused and go to bed.

Getting It Right

Still playing around with color positioning for the fall Merry Go Round Quilt.  Solution finally came to me. I made several blocks and put them up first, from there I decide which color comes next make that block put it up and proceed from there.  It takes longer than just make block after block after block in various colors, but then I would  have to figure out where it goes and doesn't meet up with a like color or fabric pattern.

3 More blocks and its ready to be put together. Believe me it looks busy as heck right now, but once everything is sewn together the pattern will form and will look so much better.

I have hopes of working on this and getting it together this weekend, but if not, I can save it for our sew play day next Thursday.   I will have to mark and number the rows so I don't mess it all up again. Looking forward to meeting up with all the girls for our sew day. 

Tomorrow is Sewing with Kylee Saturday.  I think I will let her work on her tote bags, and I'm going to quilt Stepping Stones.  Need to finish the hand sewing on Ky's 9patch and Floating Stars needs its binding. Quilt Ky's sisters wall hanging.  So many projects going on all at the same time.  I am usually much more organized, but I have commitments and deadlines to meet.

One more project that has to be done by next Friday.  I promised Nettie a tshirt quilt from start to finish.  Priorities, priorities.  Make a list and check it twice and maybe it will all fall into place. One thing for sure, going to be spending a lot more time in sewing room than 3 or 4 hours.  Looks like I'm going to be putting in 8, 10 hour days for a few weeks.

Tonight is a good night for hand sewing.

Three Days of Quilting

Customized quilted Floating Stars. I took 3 days, but I think it was worth it.

Still have to put on binding, but thats for tomorrow.   Sending off to the gal that does my patterns and will probably have pattern back by tomorrow.  She is a wizard at putting these together.

After spending 3 days quilting this, going to treat myself and NOT cook supper tonight.  Heading for KFC.

Trying To Find A Solution

I started doing Lazy Hourglass using all fall colors, scrappy style.  I love all the colors and they all work well together, but I just cant find the right block placements that appeal to me.  I keep moving them around and around and around.  I don't have all the blocks made yet because I am winging it as I go adding colors as I think I need them. 

Now I moved the blocks around to form Merry Go Round pattern to see if that looks better.

Lazy Hourglass

Merry Go Round

Wish I could decide.  I think I am just going to have to make all the blocks and see how it goes.  Like I said I love all the colors, now if I could just get them in the right position this will be a beautiful quilt. I Think!!!!!

In the meantime, I am going to quilt Floating Stars today in hopes, when I do my quilting, I will come up with a plan for this fall quilt.

If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.



Playing all day

Up early to play with my new sewing machine:

Not too fancy just right for me.  Had to get up early, Ky stayed overnight and I knew she would want to get busy with my new machine.  So while she slept in I went through piles of stash and pulled all fall colors to work with

Sewn a few blocks together, but haven't put anything into rows yet.  Still working out the color scheme.  I'm thinking I have to pull the burgundy out.  I love the color, but I think it is just wrong with the other colors.

Met with new quilt shop owner yesterday.  Twin Turtle Quilts in Clinton WI. This is going to be a very nice shop.  She is going to sell some of my patterns through her shop, and in hopes of doing some workshops through her shop as well.  I look forward to working with her. She is having a grand opening end of this month and I plan on attending sometime that weekend.

Still have much to do before the October 22nd Edgerton Quilt show.  I will have my annual booth at the show, entering Forever Diamonds in the show.  Also, doing a half hour demonstration in the morning of the show.  This year, I am giving a free quilt pattern  (one of my original designs) to each person that brings me a quilt top to be quilted.    This offer will be good through the end of this year.

Ky managed to get herself up, took a shower and then she came and played in the sewing room.  She has found fabrics for 3 tote bags, and fabrics to start yet another quilt.

I tried showing her how to hand sew the binding on her 9 patch, but this was very difficult for her and frustrated quickly.  I will sew this on for her this time, and the next one I will show her how to do a machine binding with fancy stitch.  She likes this idea.

Kylee's 9 Patch Quilted

FYI Quilters:  I am giving a free pattern (my original designs) to anyone who brings me a quilt top to be quilted.  This offer is good through end of year.

Finished the quilting on Ky's 9 patch. Looking good!

Was going to hand sew the binding for her, but thought maybe I would wait for her this weekend and show her how to do, if I think she can handle it I will let her do her own hand sewing.  She needs to learn sometime, and now's as good a time as any.

I did a small meandering, there was always a chance of puckering or seams opening as some of her seams were pretty close to the side and even though we thought we corrected them, there was that chance that one or 2 got missed..  Good thing I did, there were 2 seams that opened and I had to patch and sew tightly to fix. Also a couple of blocks were puckery, so I quilted them down. All in all she did a fantastic job on a very advanced quilt.

Today I took my small sewing machine into repair again.  It started to act up again after I made the quilt bag.  I was told its possible my machine cant handle the bulk.  So now I'm thinking of buying another machine, one that will handle as much as 8 layers of denim.  Will keep my Singer for Ky to use and I will use the new one. 

Tomorrow I am going to Clinton Twin Turtle Quilts to meet with the owner and discuss my patterns.  Taking several tops and patterns with me.

Ready to quilt the newest pattern Floating Stars, but will have to wait until my meeting tomorrow. Taking for show and tell with me tomorrow.

Sew In Day With CT Friends

I joined an on line sewing/quilting group called Connected Threadz, and am having so much fun with this group of sewers. I have a link button to this site if you would like to check it out.

We post pictures, chat give tips and help each other out with suggestions.

Today we had our first sew in day.  Plan a project or projects you want to work on and keep updates all day of your progress with pictures.

I made these pillows for Brittany (granddaughter) still have to hand sew the binding but other than that they turned out great.  She came over today with DJ (boyfriend) and I finished one before she left, so she took that one home and will get the other later this week.

In addition to the pillows I worked on my newest Floating Stars pattern, have only 1 more row to put on and the center will be done, just having to add borders.

Now I am going to get on my soap box:::::::::::  Yesterday I went with Ky to Dee Dee's to drop off Ky's wall hanging for embroidery.  While we were there, we heard a cat meowing.  Dee Dee does not have any pets.  Found it under her sewing shed.  When it came out from under we saw how starved the poor thing was. My guess the cat had maybe one or 2 more days before it would be dead from starvation.  This was not just a stray, feral cat.  You could tell it had been a house cat, declawed and so friendly. Came right to us purrrrrring and meowing, with the weakest voice I had ever heard from a cat.

Dee Dee fed it some tuna fish and milk, and the poor think just gobbled at the food. Even stopping to meow and purr at us. I felt so sorry for it.  She is going to fatten it up and either take it to the humane society or find a good home for it.

Why do people just drop off their pets in the country?  Do they think some miracle will happen and the animal will fend for itself and live happily ever after? Whats wrong with you???  How would like it to be left in the woods or along the road to fend for yourself after being fed, and live in a warm house. 

If you don't want your animals THERE IS A SHELTER CALLED HUMANE SOCIETY.  Get your fat A off the couch drive to the society or find a good home.  There is no excuse for this behavior.  If worse comes to worse and you cant do that, do the humane thing and take it to the vet and have it put down, rather than to suffer abandonment.

Madison Quilt Expo 2011

Awesome quilts:

Truly amazing quilters.  We didn't spend much time at vendors, this year I said I was going to see the quilts, don't need to do any shopping, just looking.  In years past we hit the vendors and by the time I get to the quilts I'm too tired to even take the time to really look.  Not this Year!

I didn't even take all the pictures I wanted to but crowds of people surrounding some, made it impossible to get pictures.  Managed to get some really good pictures of these quilts. The first one is Best of Show.  Also took the picture of fruit in jars because it was just so cute.