Tuesday

The weekend got away from me, so here it is Tuesday and I'm just getting around to posting.  Frankie was home for a  couple of days for the holiday, that was fun. Did you have a good weekend?

 

I have prepped this cute little Just for You block from Pat.  She posted it on National Quilting Day and its the perfect size to add into your Splendid Sampler blocks. I love blanket stitching.  One of my not-so-secret weapons is a size 9 Microtex Sharp needle, especially when the pieces are dainty like this. Yikes I'm down to my last one, although I have about 5 packets of 10s, which also will work.  I use Microtex Sharp 10s for piecing, what about you? 

 

Hope things are going well on your side of the screen!  Time to get busy with some stitching.  xo

Fridays

Where do the days go?  Was your week a busy one?  I hope you plan on getting your Splendid Sampler block done! The Checkerboard is an easy one.  I love seeing all the variations out there.

 

It's Easter weekend for those who celebrate.  Frankie will be home  for a couple of days and it will be fun to hang out with her.  Will you have big doings?  Hope it's fun and springy wherever you are.

 

xo

Just Walk Away

There are just some days it doesn't pay to thread the machine.  Sunday I was sewing away on my Easy Addition blocks and suddenly looked at the block I was working on and thought, hmm, I wonder if I'm laying this out right.    AND I HAD NOT.  I had sewn prior to this about 30 blocks.I went through all of them and  there were a whopping 5 correct, and I distinctly remember at the time thinking they looked different.   OHMYGOSH. As you can see that one on the right is all kinds of wrong with it's little contrast squares out to the edge and not by the plus. 

 

Luckily, if there can be a luckily to this situation, my scrappy backgrounds make this not a real big problem, you know except in my brain, so I'm going to soldier on.  Even if you made it as the pattern is written, with a single background, it's not a problem, all that gives you away are  the seams. The design elements are correct.  Except in the case of Righty there, who has already been fixed.

 

Turns out that this wasn't the mindless project I needed for the retreat, I'm  just a mindless sewer.  I found the last of the blocks I needed to put together and I will make those this week. Or maybe I won't. It's a busy week.  No hurry.  Right?  

 

I share this because I know we're all sitting at our machines feeling dense sometimes! You're having a good day/ bad day/  fun day / mad day... and then something happens and bam. Sad Day. It happens to all of us.  Even the best of us, which ugh, I don't think I'm the best, but I do think the best get their rippers out sometimes.

I'll soldier on.  Lessons are learned. I still love my blocks, the crazy scrappy backgrounds and the bright red plusses make me feel cheerful.  Happy day! xo

Monday

Good morning! Happy Monday!  How was your weekend? Spend time sewing? Seems like it based on all the pictures I saw!   I did some time sewing, but we also had plenty to do around the house.  Bit by bit we're going through our boxes and deciding what is 'kitchen worthy'.  Honestly, can't I set up a kitchen in the garage and then just use my real kitchen to look at?  Because that's all I want to do. 

 

And also, take a thousand pictures of my coffee at the kitchen window, and  my $3.99 cake stand from the Target Dollar Spot or whatever it's called now.  I went to the garden center and picked up a couple of pretties, first this pretty campanula  in faux berry basket and a daisy of some sort for outside the window on the ledge.  I have  a cute polka dot pot courtesy of one of my many trips to Home Goods in the past and the daisy looks so cheerful.  And just so I can stare at this little wedge of kitchen day and night, I put a battery operated candle with a timer in a little galvanized lantern type thing outside the window.. OMG I need to move away from the window.

 

But for right now I can't.   And no one can make me.  I can stay there  at the counter looking out at the birds and read all my new appliance manuals.  I hope I don't have to go though some kind of certification to use my microwave.  Holy cow, everything is so complicated.

 

Looking forward to a busy week this week, what about you?  Hope it's a good one! xo

INTERNATIONAL QUILTING DAY!

Good morning!  Are you up and at the sewing machine?  It's the perfect day to spend in front of your sewing machine... it's practically your obligation right? It's International Quilting Day! 

You know my pal Alex has a huge give away going on over at The Quilt Show! Here's a short video about  what's going on..

 

 

 

And just click here to head over to The Quilt Show to enter! 

 

And remember you can binge  watch shows from Season 1 to 17 this weekend!  What could be better!  Just click here. There's something for everyone!

 

Ok happy weekend! xo

Friday!

Good morning, happy Friday!  How are you?  How was your week?  It seems like I was busy all week but who knows what I was doing! Some weeks are just like that. 

Yesterday was Splendid Sampler day.  Did you get your Iowa block done?  It's a quick and easy block courtesy of Sherri at A Quilting Life.  Here's mine. 

 

I know I'm just a couple of blocks away from have my Quilts and More Easy Addition quilt ready to lay out, hopefully I can get to those today and start thinking about getting them sewn into rows.  I'm still working on my Scrapbasket Sampler blocks, they're cute and small.. and you can see mine on Instagram. 

 

That's about it.  Big plans this weekend?  It's International Quilt Weekend!!! Lets get quilting!

 

Home again

Hi there! Happy Monday!  I'm excited that today's coffee came straight from my new kitchen, the days of bathroom-kitchen coffee are over!   Most people wouldn't take a picture with an outlet in it, but OMG people, this outlet is one of two new outlets in my kitchen!  For the last thirty plus years we've survived with ONE OUTLET in the kitchen.  I'm giddy!

 

Yesterday was Splendid Sampler day!  Did you download your block?  This block is courtesy of Jane.  The block is named your Local Quilt Shop.  Totally cute.  I am not the best embroiderer, so fussy cutting the name was the way to go for me. 

 

The retreat was fun, and I will have some pictures of the sharing soon.  These women are seasoned quilt retreat attendees and OMG they really get stuff done.  I did get sewing done, but it was kid stuff in comparison.  We did get out and about going to the local quilt shops which was a lot of fun.  I'm lucky that my friends Deb and Debbie have invited me into their group of friends.  

 

I think my week will be filled with puttering around the house trying to restore order.  Something that I'm not that good at really.  I've put some stuff back on my counters and it seems a bit like blasphemy at this point.  But it's got to be done! Hope you have a good week everyone!!! xo 

Retreat Bound

Good Morning !  I'm off and running to my retreat today!  I'ts a 4 hour drive and it all begins at 1pm!  Of course you don't have to be there ON THE DOT.  I want to get into town a little early, there are some fun shops that I like to stop at in Paso Robles.  We will probably hit some quilt shops on Friday or Saturday, but I like the little antiques shops too, so I'll check those out on my way in. 

 

ANYWAY... I've had a busy week!  I have my block done for today!  This block is by Julie Karasek and it's called Friends Around the Square!  Super cute and fun block to make.  Be sure and check out the Splendid Sampler for the details to make this block! 

 

 I've had lots of sewing room time lately, and over on Instagram I saw that Lindsay Mayland, editor at American Patchwork and Quilting and Make it Yourself Magazine, made the cutest set of  meow mug rugs.  I have a lot of scraps in my basket from the Splendid Sampler blocks, so I cut one out, stitched it up, quickly quilted and bound it all in about 45 minutes. Possibly less. I think it's pretty cute and will be a perfect place to plant my coffee! Or stick up on the wall. Or put in the vault.. I just don't know yet. You know me.

 

Then my friend Roseann told me about Cheri Payne's "My Scrapbasket Sampler" .   It's a closed  group on Facebook, but you can ask to join, it's not secret...they let me right in! It's a block a day during the week, and it's just 24 blocks I believe.  I got sucked right in, my scrap basket is full and lots of strips are cut.  The group is basically a friendship group and the sampler is just something fun going on right now!  Maybe you already belong, I saw some familiar names on the list of members! I saw lots of fun pictures of quilts and blocks and cute displays.  Here's my first three blocks. Maybe I'll keep up, maybe not, but so far it's fun! Made these in about half an hour or so.

 

I was working on other things too. I know all of you don't do Instagram but often I have daily goings on there.. and I share projects that people make with PKM fabrics. I think that's a lot of fun. So you can check in there to see what I'm up to as well.

 

Ok, I best get cracking.  Tell me what you're up to this weekend!  I hope you have a good one.  I hope I get tons of sewing done, but most of all I know I'll have tons of fun! xo

Busy Days

Good morning!  How was your weekend?  Kind of busy on this end.  It's the last week of the kitchen update, so Saturday Eric came by to do a little work in preparation  for appliance installation.  I'm excited to have my kitchen back, and I don't plan on taking running water in my kitchen  and cooking appliances for granted again.  Well not for a while anyway! (Gotta keep it real you know?)

 

Anyway I had some last minute prep to do for the retreat.  Not like I still don't have several days before I leave, but no point waiting till the night before.  Our group has a block lotto, and this time we're making scrappy bow tie blocks from Alex's book Scrap Quilting with Alex Anderson.  You can make one or more, and the more you put in, the better your chances are of winning the lot.  I made four, so far anyway.  Bow ties are a favorite, and I can just go through my scrap basket and find pieces just right. 

We also play Left, Right Center, so I have my fabrics for that.  Last year you brought three batik fat quarters, this year we're picking one color and bringing a light, medium and dark.  We might play more than once, so I have enough for two games.  It was pretty exciting last time, I had never played before. 

 

Yesterday was Splendid Sampler day!  Amy designed a cute block she named Snug as a Bug. You can read about it on her blog, and download the pattern over at The Splendid Sampler!  I can't wait to see your blocks!

 

 

Ok, I best get ready and face the day! xo

TGIF

Man this week could not be over fast enough.  How was it for you?  Hope that it went well, regardless though, IT'S IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR.

 

I've seen lots of pretty Splendid Sampler blocks out on FB and IG.  What about you?  I whipped mine out, it's a cute block. I'm trying to add more colors as I go.. who knows how it will all work out.  I suspect for me sashing will be the great equalizer!  You can find instructions for Focal Point over here on the Splendid Sampler website, and you can read more about designer Natalia here on her blog, Piece and Quilt.

 

Now that it's time to think about packing up for my retreat, I wanted to share two new additions to my  travel equipment.  Olfa kindly sent me this new Folding Cutting Mat which is perfect for on-the-go sewing.  I think one of the hardest things to bring with you is the mat... and it only takes one time of leaving your mat in the car in even the slightest of bent positions to know it's far to valuable of a tool to risk damaging. This mat will fold up and slide into a tote bag.  Thanks Olfa, and thanks for making those life changing tools. (You can click here and see my video where I talk about life changing things! Its been almost 4 years since I made it but it's all still true. )

 

 

Also on deck is my new Clover Wedge iron. I ordered it after seeing a demo in the Clover booth  at CHA in January.  My regular iron takes up a lot of space and is  power hungry so not practical for this sewing trip, but I'm not ready to give up having a dedicated iron!   I hope this little iron does the trick for me.

 

 

 

 

The lines on this mat disappear with the slightest pressure, so once you lay your fabric on it you can't see that fold at all. 

 

Ok, that's about it for today peoples!  HAPPY WEEKEND! xo