Keeping cool.

Hi there!  Hope you're keeping cool in all this hot hot weather.  We're on a week of 90 degree days, but it's not too bad overall.  We replaced the furnace and a/c units at the end of the season last year, so this year we're enjoying the benefits of more efficient a/c. 

Right now we're at the beginning of some work around the house, so things are in a bit of a chaotic state.  No sewing for me right now, but hopefully again soon.  I did bring a bunch of quilts home from the quilter so I'm on quilt 2 working on binding.  It's not so fun in the hot weather, so it's sloooow going.  I still have several quilts out for quilting, and can't wait to get them back. 

Since Frankie started hanging banners in her front window and decorating for holidays and seasons, I've been wanting to do that in my kitchen window.  Do you follow Michele of Mumlicreates on IG? She makes the cutest banners and I've been in love with the tea time banner for ages.  All the details are so cute, that cup with the flowers is KILLING ME.   I ordered the Beach Daze banner for Frankie.  Perfect for Santa Cruz. 

On the sewing front, my friend Pat Sloan has a pretty new line of fabric with Benartex out and she sent me a selection of  fat quarters to play with.  Bonnie Lane is the name of this line, and it's due out later this year, September I believe.  This pile of beauties has a fall feel doesn't it?  Do you follow Pat?  She's always got a lot going on, sew alongs, books, online Fireside chats! You should check it all out.   Thanks to Pat for treating me to some of her fabric!  

One of the nice things about having this work done is that I can get into some daytime reading!  No work around the house to be done and my sewing room is full of overflow stuff, nothing to do but read!  Hope you're keeping cool and staying out of trouble!  xop

Book Report

Hi friends!  Hope you are well and enjoying all that summer has to offer.  We've had a nice few cool days here, lots of swing time out back for me, enjoying the cooler weather.  The summer has been nice so far and my plants are all still looking fresh and green. 

 

Recently Deidre from C&T contacted me and asked if I'd like an e-copy of Alex's All Things Quilting book for review. It was one of the books I hadn't added to my library and I jumped at the chance. 

 

Honestly, it's so good I had to go out and get a hold-in-your-hands copy. It's the reference book that I've always wanted!  For instance, what's the calculation for setting triangles? I always like to check just in case. Well page 92 has a tell all on setting triangles, including a bit of a discussion on grainline.  Did you know that a lot of people don't know the difference between quarter square and half square triangles and why to use one or the other? 

 

But that's just one thing in the book.  Something that's important to me. There are a lot of other reasons to get this book. No matter how long I've been sewing or quilting, there are lots of techniques I don't know.  I remember when I was adding prairie points to the edge of a quilt, I didn't know how to do it. The internet at that time didn't really know either come to find out, and I was left to muddle through because my book and pattern library didn't have anything past a sentence or so to tell me how to do it. All Things Quilting has a bunch of step outs showing exactly how to do it.  Great photography that really illustrates the technique. That's just one of the many finishing techniques shown in the book. 

 

All Things Quilting is filled with things like that, great step out photographs of techniques of all kinds, you know, from start to finish of your project.  It has information that is missing today in lots of books or online sources, the reasoning behind doing something a particular way.  That back up info that informs your decision making process.  The information that can make the difference in the success of your projects.   For me it's all the information you might pick up if you took a lot of quilt classes.  It's all in this book waiting for you to pick it up when you need it. 

 

This book really is All Things Quilting.  It's a start to finish guide for making a quilt. A book filled with information you don't know you need till you do. It's your quilt class experience without leaving home. It's there, from a trusted source, so you know you can count on it.  I love it.  I feel inspired by it. And while this isn't a fancy review, because lets face it, I'm not that fancy, it's an honest assessment of this book. 

 

Thanks Deidre, for sending me an e-copy! What a great book!   People if you ever just wanted to know stuff I think you will love it. 

 

Ok, that's the news here in PamKittyVille.  xop

 

 

GardenTime

Hi there friends!  How are you?  We're in July already, I can hardly believe it.  The weather is cooler than normal right now, so Chris, no complaints for me!  I'm enjoying every breezy open window moment as soon enough it will be scorching.  That's just how it is. 

So what's been going on since I came here last?  Seems like tons.  We took a quick Father's Day trip to Disneyland to catch the new Disneyland Galaxy's Edge.  Bret is a Star Wars fan, and we knew he wanted to go.  Frankie and I were watching the crowd tracker and weather and both were in our favor so we went in the middle of the week before Father's day.  It was great fun.  Perfect weather, not too crowded. 

 

Things around here are busy.  We're having some work done around the house and wow, it's not like we're hoarders but holy cow.  Finding places to move stuff around is quite a challenge. 

 

 

I have been a sewing a bit, and when I saw Margot's Watering Can Quilt I knew I had to make it.  I mean, come on, SCALLOPS! It's adorable, I've just cut out and made one so far, but I'll make more. 

 

A couple of years ago I bought some canvas to make a new canopy for my swing. Of course I promptly put it off making due with the old ripped up one.  I pulled the fabric out finally a couple of weeks ago and made another.  It was filled with frustrations, my fabric wasn't wide enough, I kept sewing wrong sides to right sides.  But it finally was done.    I have sat outside in the shade of the canopy since then.  My sweet neighbor Alice Jane passed away a couple of weeks ago.  She was so wonderful to me, friend and mentor, a confidant. Someone who really changed my life.  We always underestimate how much we will miss people. 

 

Me, mom, Frankie and Alice-Jane

Allied Arts Menlo Park

July, maybe 1990

 

Do you have 4th of July plans? Not much going on here.  More moving stuff around for us.  Seems like no matter how much we clean up and move out there's always a bunch more.  Well we've lived here about 36 years I think, I guess it shouldn't be a surprise. 

 

I hope you are well friends.  Be safe over the holiday.  xop