Renegade Quilter

WIP Thursday

2012-02-02T17:44:00.000-08:00

slow & steady...

that is how things have been around here. i am still fighting this head cold/flu bug. i am starting to think its never going to leave me.

i have done a little sewing.

i did work on a bee block that was suppose to be done in January.

a spider web block.

this is the next quilt that i will be quilting. a top that has been finished for some time now. i have several of those tops. i need to get them quilted so i can start on a new top. i have several swimming around in my head right now.

this being one of them. the Single Girl quilt. i have cut out all of my templates & i have started cutting out the fabric. its something i can do while i am resting. i am a really bad sick person. i hate more then anything to lay around & do nothing so i trace templates & cut fabric.

i did finish my Spice Market Tote. i have used it & its huge. i have plans to make the smaller size one as well.

happy sewing.

WIP Wednesday

2012-01-25T04:38:00.000-08:00

hi everyone

not a very productive week. i have been a bit under the weather.

i did finish up this bag. which i had put the handles on backwards so i had to unsew. then re-sew the handles on & add the lining.

bright & cherry on the inside.

i was going to use this fabric to make another bag like the one above but i have decided to make the Spice Market Tote out of it instead. i think that the owls will be fun in this bag.

i started another scarf with the left over yarn. i needed to do something while i rested & so this has been it.

i also started on block #6 of my Quilter's Journey quilt. i am sure it will take me about 6 months to get this one finished. hahahaha

happy sewing.

New Additions

2012-01-23T11:42:00.000-08:00

here are the new additions that i added to my stash last week. they all came from The Quilting Bee in Spokane.

left to right. lining, handles & outside of bag.

which bag? the Spice Market Tote for both sets of fabric. i have had this Single Girl pattern for awhile now. i wanted a project that will take some time but yet one that i will enjoy. this was the winner. i hope to work on my templates soon.

pretty sure this will be a bag of some sort. not sure which one yet but i had to have this fabric.

you all know that i love me some Sweatwater fabric. i had to have this layer cake of Reunion. i am thinking of Julie's Circle Around quilt with it using this grey Kona.

i also picked up a basic brown Kona & another good brown blender fabric.

last but not least. backing fabric. favorite thing about the Bee is its sale hall. 40% off of this. love it.

i think this is a good addition for the beginning of 2012. now i just need to get some sewing done.

happy sewing.

WIP Plus 3

2012-01-21T06:09:00.000-08:00

hey there everyone. i am still here. i have just been traveling for the past week & didn't take my laptop with me & since i haven't figured out how to do a blog post from my phone this post is late. better late then never as they say.

i did get some projects done since i have last posted.

i bought this flannel last fall when i was at a mini quilt camp with the Renegades in McCall. i knew what i wanted to do with it & just finally got around to doing it. no surprise pajama pants.

the flannel matches the flannel in a quilt that i made a couple years ago & i still have this quilt. sort of fun to have pajama pants that go with a quilt. its a perfect match for snuggling & since we now have snow here......

i also finished this scarf. i knit. something i do every now & then. it was the first time i followed a pattern & did something other then the basic knit stitch. it was a fun scarf to make & i did un-knit a few times when i had realized i had done a row wrong. un-kitting is just about as much fun as un-sewing. anyways. this scarf was a gift for Someone special to me. i know that they will enjoy it & use it which makes me smile.

i was in Houston last week & while i was there my sewing machine was at The Quilting Bee (one of my favorite shops) in Spokane getting serviced. it was in great need of some TLC but i just couldn't part with it. since i flew out of Spokane to Houston it worked perfectly to have my machine service while i was gone. i picked it up yesterday along with some new fabric. smile. i can't wait to sit down & sew. its like getting a new machine after they service it.

check back here soon. i plan on posting some other things i have been working on as well as my fabric purchases that i got.

happy sewing.

WIP.........

2012-01-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

WIP....... work in process

this week that is me and my life. i am a work in process. always.

sadly today i said goodbye to a lifelong friend. someone who had one of the biggest hearts i know of.

someone who i spent half of my life with on a regular basis. its not until people like that are gone do you realize the impact they had on you and your life.

this week i pause to remember her. pray for her son. send good thoughts to her family.

and remember that 'life is short but sweet for certain'

so hug a little longer, laugh a little harder and love a little deeper.

you will be glad you did.

WIP Friday

2012-01-06T07:42:00.000-08:00

its Friday......

and yes i missed posting on Wednesday but with work & life it just didn't happen.

i wanted to share with you my newest little tool.

its a mini iron from Dritz & i love it.

i keep it beside my machine with the pressing pad & it works great.

i used it when i made this bee block this past week.

i also made this bag which the name of the pattern escapes me but it is from Me and My Sister. i am in love with the bag.

so in love that i am in the middle of a 2nd one.

and i have plans for a 3rd one.

happy sewing.

Resolutions......

2012-01-01T16:07:00.000-08:00

new years resolutions

Wikipedia defines this as a commitment that a person makes to one or more lasting personal goals, projects, or the reforming of a habit. this goal must be reached by the Next New Year. keep in mind that this is a goal, not a wish and should be something that you as a person could strive for.

do you make new years resolutions?

i usually do. in the past they have always been along the lines of learning something new, challenging myself, or just plain nonsense. i really haven't given much thought to them this year until last night and then again today after a conversation with Someone. i think that what i have decided upon falls within Wikipedia's definition of a new years resolution. not that it really matters because in reality the resolutions are mine and mine alone.

so.... i give you my list

1. sell my house

2. continue blogging

3. spend more time with these monsters

4. see DMB more then i did in 2011

5. (maybe) travel some

all of these are actual things that i can physically do.

now for the things that are more mental and emotional.

1. to rise above the little things

2. continue to live in the present. the past is just that. the past. the future is unknown so why spend time worrying about the unknown. it will be what it is.

3. spend my energy on the things that i can control

4. live for myself. make choices for myself rather then based on someone else's needs. i am not being selfish here. i just don't want to live how certain people think i should live just to please them.

2011 seemed to blow by me with lots of changes and challenges. some not the greatest while others were mind blowingly awesome. i want to take the positive from 2011 on into 2012. i want to go after what i want and see where i land. so i know that 2012 will also bring lots of changes as well as some challenges - however as the saying goes 'if you always do what you have always done then you will always get what you have always got.' i am tired of what i have always got and i want something different and i am the only one who can make that happen.

above all i want to make 2012 the best year yet.

2011 In Review

2011-12-31T18:21:00.000-08:00

WIP Wednesday

2011-12-28T18:20:00.000-08:00

i am back on track with this post.

not much to share as i am sort of taking a break from the holiday sewing rush.

i have finished the top for my cousin's quilt. she had a little boy the 1st part of December. the quilt was simple to put together. i used a charm pack of Pure & some brown Kona cotton.

i am backing it with fleece. i just need to quilt it & bind it.

i came across this great blog Thirty Hand Made Days & i love it. i got these great thank you post cards from there which i am sending out for some gifts i got. Mique has a lot of great crafts & ideas on her site.

super cute!!!!

a new semi related to quilting project that i have started. like the rest of you i have several old quilting magazines that i can not part with because there are projects/ideas in them that i might need someday. so..... awhile back i got this idea from someone on Twitter & it has become a new project for me for 2012.

nope i won't be using my sewing machine for this. i will be using my scanner. i have started going through the old magazines & tearing out the projects/ideas that i want to keep. i then scan them into pdf files. heck of a good idea. i love Twitter for stuff like that. it takes time to do this. that is why its a project for all of 2012. i did one today so i have a head start.

i have another long weekend coming up so i hope to get the quilting done on the baby quilt & maybe work on a couple other things.

happy sewing.

12.29.11 update Carolyn over at ...just one more stitch is having a giveaway.

WIP Almost Caught Up

2011-12-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

hey there.

here is some of the stuff i did for Christmas gifts.

i made the Renegade's each a sweatshirt. light grey hoodie with 'Renegade Quilter' embroidered in one of their favorite colors.

Sharon - black

Lynette - red

Denise - blue

me - green

this is the 1st one i did as a test on just a regular sweatshirt. the gals loved them & the next time we are all together & wearing them i will get a pic to post.

i made several of these zipper bags as gifts. they went together quickly & made great little gifts for friends & family members. my niece's even got one with the Disney Princess's on them.

a couple of weeks before Christmas i was hired to make a quilt for a 7 year old girl. this is the fabric that i picked. i had free range for the pattern.

i randomly selected fabric & sewed together blocks slightly larger then 12 1/2" x 12 1/2"

i then trimmed them all down. layed out the quilt & sewed it up. i added a brown boarder to it. its super cute. the mom that hired me was very pleased with it & i learned today that her daughter calls it her 'special blanket'. makes me smile. needless to say in the rush to get it done i failed to take a pic of it. so, the mom is working on getting one for me to post.

tomorrow i should be back on track for my regular WIP Wednesday posts.

happy sewing.

WIP... What I have been up to....

2011-12-26T17:48:00.000-08:00

oh how time gets away from me..........

seems like forever since i have done a post. which it has been awhile. sorry. i have been busy with all of the holiday stuff. i will do my best to get you caught up on what i have been working on.

but first. some things that have come my way.

like this box.

from Moda. yep. Moda did the 12 days of Christmas & i won one of the days.

i won a layer cake of Half Moon Modern. it came all tied up with a pretty bow. i love this line of fabric now & i will be getting more of it.

the Renegades got together & we had our Christmas party a couple of weeks ago. funny we all made our gifts for each other this year. i made embroidered sweatshirts for each of us. i forgot to take a pic so i will do that & put it in another post.

Denise made us these cute 3"x5" notebook covers & also gave us a Starbucks card.

Lynette made us these etched wine glasses with a bag to put it in for when we go to quilt camp. She also gave us a bottle of wine.

Sharon made us each one of these super cool oil cloth bags. i love mine. she also gave us the coolest gadget.

they were on our gift bags & i thought they were like a pin you would wear on your sweater or jacket only they are magnetic.

they are made of a ceramic material & you do wear them on your shirt.

however you put your pins on them when you are sewing. super cool. i love it. maybe you have seen them before but i had not and i think its the neatest thing ever. i used mine while i was doing my holiday sewing and i love it. i think they are called 'cling ons'. funny i know.

so that is part of what i have been up to. a little holiday cheer with the gals & a little holiday cheer from Moda.

come back for my next post which should be tomorrow to see some of the stuff that i made for gifts this year.

happy sewing.

WIP Wednesday

2011-12-07T06:27:00.000-08:00

hi everyone. there has been a little bit of everything going on this past week. i have a few projects that i still can't show you because of Christmas. but, i can share with you this.

this is just some of my Pure stash which is from Sweetwater by Moda. i have been holding onto it waiting for a project to come along. wait no more. the project is here.

my cousin is expecting her 2nd child this Friday & so i am making a little baby boy quilt for her & the little guy. i have some more work to do on it but it will be done & delivered before the end of the year.

i have also been cutting out these cute little Christmas dresses. a year or so ago i made my niece a paper doll quilt & now she will be getting some holiday outfits to go with that quilt.

i still have a few hats to cut out but i should get that done this evening.

tomorrow night i hop the plane to Boise to spend a long weekend with my nieces & their parents. i am looking forward to this time with them since i haven't seen them all since August. criminal. i know. they are coming home for Christmas but with how crazy things get around that time i like to take the time now to just have some me time with them all.

i hope that you are all making progress on your Christmas projects & that you have a wonderful week.

WIP Wednesday

2011-11-30T14:15:00.000-08:00

right now i am mad at Blogger or myself for not being able to figure it out. i have the pictures going the right direction in the file but when they upload they are all going the wrong direction. so, use your imagination. i am sure that i am the problem given the day that i have had.

no sewing in this post. too much Christmas stuff that i can't share.

however, i can share a cute little project i did for gift bags.

i took scrap fabric in a shade of green & put some steam a seam stuff on it & then cut out triangle shapes. it did the same with some brown fabric & cut out trunk shapes.

peeled off the backing & positioned them into trees.

then i ironed them down & added a button to the top of the tree.

there you have it. some simple. affordable. cute gift bags. these are headed to Spokane tomorrow with gifts for my friends up there. i hope they enjoy them.

maybe next week i can show some sewing on my WIP Wednesday post.

happy sewing

Giving Thanks

2011-11-24T00:27:00.000-08:00

according to Merriam-Webster

Thanksgiving is

defined as the act of giving thanks. a prayer expressing gratitude. a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness.

and

Thanksgiving Day is

defined as a day appointed for giving thanks for divine goodness. the fourth Thursday in November observed as a legal holiday in the United States.

i found it odd that there is no mention of a big feast in the definition of Thanksgiving Day. because that is what we do right?

we cook a large 'special' meal just for that day. usually taking the whole day to prepare the meal. the meal is then shared with family & friends. where we over eat, nap & watch football. some people even believe that the food & day will be better if their house is in perfect order. my mother being one of them. ughhhhh

digging a little deeper. Wikipedia (i said a little deeper) says that 'Thanksgiving in North America had originated from a mix of European and Native traditions." both of these groups celebrated the end of a good harvest season. overtime this evolved into Thanksgiving as we now know it.

for myself, i enjoy the meal & the time spent with family & friends. but, i also think that it is important to celebrate, to give thanks, to be grateful for our own harvest of the past year. the good things in our lives over the past 365 days.

so, on this day i reflect on my own harvest of this past year. the birth of my niece. the bond with my friends & the support they have given me. my health. the experiences i have had. the lessons i have learned.

for all of these things i am grateful for & today i give thanks for them because without them i would not be me.

so as you enjoy your meal with your family & friends pause to reflect on your own personal harvest of this past year. be thankful for what this past year has brought you & be grateful for Someone special in your life.

Happy Thanksgiving

WIP Wednesday

2011-11-23T12:17:00.000-08:00

a week ago i was at quilt camp. roughly 4 days of sewing time. it was great. an amazing group of ladies. good food. lots of laughter.

so what did i get done?

you have seen most of these pics before, but i didn't say what was my stuff.

a bee block that took me out of my comfort zone. which. isn't always a bad thing.

another bee block.

a six-pack bag.

made with Terrain from Kate Spain.

this Christmas quilt made with Countdown To Christmas fabric from Sweetwater. i got a few questions about the pattern. i found it on the Moda Bake Shop & its the Ruby, Pearl, and Opal Quilt pattern.

3 zipper bags that are more then likely going to be gifts.

note pad & pen holders with a pocket.

gifts again.

large Snap Happy multi-pouch clutch.

its for me. its green & i love it. if you haven't made any of the Snap Happy bags i strongly encourage you to give them a try. you use a metal tape measure in them for the snap closure. they are very fun to make.

2 WSU (Washington State University) bags.

this project was purchased a couple years ago during a trip to Sisters. its out of Nature's Solitude. 640 pcs to begin with. i have had it cut for over a year now & it has been to a few camps with me but this is the 1st time i have touched it since i cut it out.

now down to 320 pcs.

so that is what i have been working on for the past 7 days. i feel really good about what i got done at camp. i am looking forward to spending sometime with my sewing machine tomorrow as well.

Slow Down Therapy

2011-11-22T08:09:00.000-08:00

this came across my desk yesterday at work & i thought i would share it. we all are living at such a fast pace that its nice to pause. to take time. to go a little slower every now & then.

"Slow Down Therapy" ~ Author Unknown

Slow down; you’re not responsible for doing it all yourself—at least not right now.
Remember a happy, peaceful time in your past. Rest there. Each moment has richness that takes a lifetime to savor.
Set your own pace. When someone is pushing you, it's OK to tell them they're pushing.
Take nothing for granted: watch water flow, the corn grow, the leaves blow, and your neighbor mow.
Taste your food.
Notice the sun and the moon as they rise and set. They are remarkable for their steady pattern of movement, not their speed.
When you talk with someone, don't think about what you'll say next. Take time to listen and your thoughts will spring up naturally.
Create a place in your home...at your work...in your heart...where you can go for quiet and recollection. You deserve it.
Allow yourself time to rest. Rest isn't a luxury; it's a necessity.
Listen to the wind blow. It carries a message of yesterday and tomorrow-and now. NOW counts.
It’s ok to rest on your laurels sometimes. They bring comfort whatever their size, age, or condition.
Talk slower. Talk less. Don't talk. Communication isn't measured by words.
Give yourself permission to be late sometimes. Life is for living, not scheduling.
Listen to the song of a bird; the complete song. Music and nature are gifts, but only if you are willing to receive them.
Take time just to think. Action is good and necessary, but it's fruitful only if we muse, ponder, and mull.
Make time for play at the things you like to do. Whatever your age, your inner child needs re-creation.
Learn to stand back and let others take their turn as leaders. There will always be new opportunities for you to step out in front again.
Take time to read. Thoughtful reading is enriching reading.
Take a day off--alone. You can learn from hermits without becoming one.
Pet a furry friend. You will give and get the gift of now.
Work with your hands. It frees the mind.
Take time to wonder. Without wonder, life is merely existence.
Sit in the dark. It will teach you to see and hear, taste and smell.
Once in a while, turn down the lights, the volume, the throttle, and the invitations. Less really can be more.
Take a walk-but don't go anywhere. If you walk just to get somewhere, you sacrifice the walking.
Count your friends. If you have one, you are lucky. If you have more, you are blessed. Bless them in return.
Count your blessings - one at a time and slowly.
Let go. Nothing is usually the hardest thing to do - but often it is the best.

enjoy your day!

Quilt Camp Update Part IV

2011-11-21T18:11:00.000-08:00

the last update from quilt camp.

we all made it home even with all of the snow that we got while we were there. it was a great camp. great ladies. lots of laughter. lots of sewing.

come back Wednesday to see what i worked on at camp.

Quilt Camp Update Part III

2011-11-19T18:52:00.000-08:00

it's still snowing & we are still sewing.....

tomorrow it all comes to an end so we are all sewing like mad tonight.......

Quilt Camp Update Part II

2011-11-19T04:42:00.000-08:00

just a few more pics from the past couple of days at camp.

come back to see more pics of projects that campers have been working on.

Quilt Camp Update Part 1

2011-11-18T20:31:00.000-08:00

just a few pics of projects from the past couple of days.

WIP Wednesday Part II

2011-11-16T20:33:00.000-08:00

at least Barb made it to camp. her car is heading back early to visit the car doctor. Barb will load her stuff in another quilter's car when its time to head home on Sunday.

i worked on a bee block today. one that kicked my ass. its a mosaic block. me being type A & not having things match up don't go well together.

i unsewed as much as i sewed on this block.

but i stuck with it.

& got it done. we were told not to trim the blocks so it is now ready to be mailed.

an amazing tree that Barb did at a class in October.

this quilt camp has a quilt shop that comes with it. this is a quilt that they have kits for. super cute.

quick trip done by Bridgette.

the room filling up.

projects by various ladies.

its snowing like mad here now. we are all nice & cozy sewing away.

come back tomorrow for more pics.

WIP Wednesday from.......

2011-11-16T10:16:00.000-08:00

i am at camp today. i got here at 7 something this morning & took a couple pics.

then

my camera battery died & i discovered that i forgot my battery charger. major bummer. but, someone is picking it up from my house and bringing it to camp with them later on today.

so......

look for another post later today with some sewing pics.

Christmas Came Early

2011-11-11T04:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas came early to me this year.

back in this post i told you that my neighbor offered me a quilting frame. her sister had given it to her & she not only didn't have room for it but isn't into quilting. she sews but she doesn't quilt.

it took me awhile to get it all the way set up & ready to go. life has been busy & some other things have come before getting the frame set up.

but, its up now & ready for a test drive. i will admit i did have it in a different location & once i realized i would need to be able to move around the frame i decided to move it. that meant moving a bunch of other stuff as well. some of the stuff i have gotten rid of so all in all it wasn't a bad thing to do.

i got the leaders on it last night. in the process i learned that i have them going the wrong way but i also learned that it really doesn't mater.

i have some play fabric loaded on it now. sorry no pic of that. so, the next step is to plug in the machine & take it for a test drive.

i still am in shock that this was given to me. i have been wanting a frame for sometime now & just haven't gotten around to getting one. now i know why that was.

so, a question to you readers. i would like to do something nice for my neighbor who gave me this & i am looking for ideas. a friend of mine suggested a quilt but i am not sold on that idea yet. what would you suggest i do???

hope you all have a great weekend.

Space Dust

2011-11-09T02:42:00.000-08:00

hey there. i will be in St Louis for work when this posts. i flew out Sunday at o'dark thirty. so, again i have a week with no sewing. it should be criminal. the fine should be mandatory time spent at the sewing machine.

i wanted to post something sewing related today even though i don't have any WIPs to share. so, with out further ado i give you.....

Space Dust by Tula Pink

you all know that i was at Sisters this past year & that i took a class from Tula while i was there.

i had a couple of pics of Space Dust in my Sisters post but i have been meaning to go back and share the others that i took as well.

some showing the amazing quilting done by Angela. see the space ship.

the star.

the ladder with the little guy.

the rocket booster.

the falling star.

i love her swirls.

an amazing quilt put together by two amazingly talented ladies.

maybe in the next 7 days i can serve my sentence & spend sometime at my sewing machine.

WIP Wednesday

2011-11-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

its time for WIP Wednesday again & i have nothing to show with regards to the world of sewing. i did get the quilting frame from my neighbor & i am in the process of getting it together. its almost there. maybe by tonight i will have fabric on it & take some pics for a post. let me just say that Christmas came early to me.

so with no progress on sewing related things i thought 'how about a WIP on something else.' why not? right?

awhile back Denise & i both read The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz. it is a good book with some simple suggestions to help you through challenges & the daily stuff that life can throw our way.

the book is based on 4 agreements that we are to make with ourselves.

1. be impeccable with your word

2. don't take anything personally

3. don't make assumptions

4. always do your best

they seem simple enough right? let me tell you when i am in the middle of some of the stuff that life throws me these are the furthest thing from my mind. however, given a little time & distance from the situation they really do help me to process through the stuff & get back to center.

so today's post is about a different sort of a WIP. me. i am a work in process & will continue to be so for the rest of my life. i have found that when things get rough as they sometimes do that going back to the basics like the 4 agreements can be helpful. that & some of my favorite music.

so with Dave playing in the background. myself re-centered. i am ready to take on the next thing that life has to throw at me.

WIP Wednesday

2011-10-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

Wednesday again........

where does all of the time go?

nothing too exciting this week. a finish & my next sewing project. oh & some none sewing related info.

i finished my jelly roll race car quilt. i totally lost the race but i love how it turned out. i added a narrow dark brown boarder & then wider print boarder. i decided to miter the corners. someone showed me this way awhile back & it works every time for me.

remember me telling you i unsewed 800" because i didn't want my snowmen standing on their heads. i am so happy i did that. i love that they are all going the same direction.

just a close up of a mitered corner. i love how they look & after i do them i always say that i am going to always do my boarders this way. but..... that doesn't always happen.

so this quilt gets added to the stack of others that need to be quilted.

speaking of quilting. i was in my front yard the other day & my neighbor comes over & asks me if i quilt. my answer was 'yes' & she proceeds to tell me how she is a seamstress & tried quilting but didn't like it. i about passed out thinking how could anyone not like quilting. then she tells me that she has a quilting frame that her sister gave her. her sister is big into quilting. my neighbor wanted to know if i wanted to have it. as in free. heck yes was my answer. i don't know much about it except its metal, expands out to a king size & that she & her husband are going to bring it over this weekend. i am super excited to see what it is & if i can use it. i will keep you posted.

this is the next project on the to do list. i can't say much about it except it going to be a gift of sorts that travels.

now for the none related sewing stuff. nothing major going on. i will just have less time to sew & that means being less productive. i have decided to make a change in my life & that is going to require a bit of my time & energy. i have lots of (none sewing related) projects that need to get done to make this change happen. i will still be sewing just not as much. who knows. you might even get to see a couple of those none sewing related projects here. misery loves company right????

i hope you all are sewing away & being productive quilters.

WIP Wednesday

2011-10-19T16:44:00.000-07:00

so what have i been working on. i have been sewing & i have been unsewing which is something that we like to call 'successful training'. hahaha.

a couple of quilt camps ago a few people got on the jelly roll race car quilt kick. at the time i did not. i though about it & thought about it. i thought of ways to change it up some. make mine a little different. i am a renegade after all.

in McCall i decided it was time to make the jelly roll race car quilt.

so, i took my jelly roll, trimmed the salvage edges & cut them in two. instead of 40 strips i had 80. instead of mitering the ends i butt seamed them. then i started to sew the 1st seam. my jelly roll has directional fabric in it. i realized that if i put the quilt together like the instructions said that i would have snowmen standing on their heads. i only did the 1 seam in McCall before we packed up & came home.

a few days of being at home & i decided to unsew that 1st seam. all 800 inches of it. for some reason i could not have my snowmen standing on their heads. yes, i am crazy. but, at least i admit it.

so, here it is. my renegaded jelly roll race quilt. if i was in a real race i would have been black flagged for going too slow. i love that all of my snowmen are going the same way so if 1 stands on his head they all will be standing on their heads.

i have 2 borders to add to the quilt. a narrow solid brown & then a wider print from the same line.

i make & sell handbags at a local artisan barn & they were out so last night i took these to the barn. a little bit of variety.

for the camp in McCall i thought it would be nice if each of us brought fabric so i could sew up a pillow case to donate. we got the fabric but the sewing up part didn't happen until this past week. they are washed & ready to be delivered.

lastly, i must share. back in March or April when i saw Countdown to Christmas from Sweetwater i knew i wanted some. so my friends who have a quilt shop near by ordered my a fat quarter bundle. i has forgotten about it until i got the email explaining why i didn't have it sooner. no big deal. i have no plans for it except to sit and look at it. i love this fabric.

i hope everyone is having a productive week.

Winner Winner

2011-10-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

the lucky winner of the 2 countdown to christmas charm packs is......

Debra said...

Defiantely color catchers and the heat set signatures should be fine!

October 12, 2011 8:05 PM

i am sending her an email to get her mailing address.

thanks to all of you for your great suggestions on my siggy swap quilt. i think that the signatures that i am unsure of i will go over with a sharpie & heat set them all again. i will then wash it in cold water, very little detergent & about 10 color catchers.

i will let you know how it turns out.

thanks again. its nice having a great group of people to answer questions like this one.

WIP Wednesday & A Giveaway!!!!

2011-10-12T18:26:00.000-07:00

this week i am sharing what i got done while i was at the Renegade's quilt camp in McCall this past weekend. if you stick with me through the entire post you will see a giveaway at the bottom. no jumping ahead. there might be a quiz.

no, this is not mine. Denise put this together at camp. amazing i know. she does beautiful work & is very talented. she is also super nice so she shares her knowledge with the rest of us.

another Denise creation. she started this at my house back in May & finished it up at camp with adding the boarders to it.

i made this quilt awhile back. i quilted & bound it at camp. i think i have about 13 quilts or so that need quilted. at least one is done.

i used a studio dye cutter to cut the tumblers which went super quick.

i love the front but i also love the back. its a modern twist on the back & i am beginning to love this look more & more.

i quilted & bound this baby quilt that i made at the previous camp. i called this my WAG quilt. i gave it to the gal today who asked me to make it for her & she loved it.

i took my serger to camp with me as well. i made 9 pairs of pajama pants. i can not show you all 9 pairs here because 7 of them are for gifts & some people do read my blog. the 2 i am showing here are for me. i have 1 more pair to make then i am done with pajama pants for awhile.

i put together this top at camp as well. these blocks came from a block swap thing i did with some local quilters/friends. our theme was a holiday or a season. i picked Christmas.

an up close shot of my focus fabric. i am pleased with how it turned out. so add that to the list of quilts to be quilted.

i took my 2010 Modern Siggy Swap quilt to quilt while i was at camp. i got it done but not without some challenges. i spray basted it in the garage at camp. i then got Denise to look at it with me to talk about the quilting of it. it was then that i discovered i had put the bottom row on wrong. ugh. so, i peeled back the quilt, unsewed the bottom row, fixed it & re-basted it. yuck.

i used rainbow variegated thread for the quilting. i just did swirls around each block. this is a shot of the back of the quilt. the quilting frames each siggy block.

i am very happy with how it turned out. white is not a color that i normally use but for this i thought it was the right way to go.

so now for the $64,000 question.

do i wash it? yes or no?

if i wash it then how? or do i use special quilt washing soap?

i want to wash it but i am afraid of lightening some of the signatures or having some of them bleed. someone said as long as its heat set i should be fine washing it. i don't know what to do. i want the puckery look of a washed quilt but i don't want to loose any of the signatures.

HELP

this is where i get your advice & you get a chance to win something fun.

my previous post was #200 for me & so i thought i should have a giveaway. i am giving away 2 'countdown to christmas' charm packs.

for 1 entry leave me a comment about washing my siggy quilt. would you wash it? if so how? or any tips, tricks you may have for me regarding this issue.

for a 2nd entry blog, Tweet, Facebook or tell a friend about my giveaway & leave me a comment letting me know what you did.

so, that's 2 chances to enter. you must leave a comment for each item. i will leave the giveaway open until 5:00 pm (pst) Monday the 17th.

so get out there & spread the word!!!!!!

WIP Wednesday

2011-10-06T13:31:00.000-07:00

WIP Wednesday on Thursday.

no surprise there. yesterday we traveled to quilt camp & got set up & settled in. the Renegades are in McCall, ID for a long quilt camp.

here is a pic of the lake & the town. taken from the City of McCall's website.

McCall is a great place to come anytime of the year.

sorry no sewing related pics.

but.......

this is my 200th post so i will be having a giveaway soon.........

make sure to come back for that.

WIP Wednesday

2011-09-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

WIP Wednesday & Quilt Camp III post

i saved what i did at quilt camp for this post since this is what i got accomplished this past week.

a bee block that i still need to get in the mail.

i quilted this quilt which i have had the top done for sometime now. truth be told i have a total of 11 tops & now a few more that need to be quilted. it was a fun quilt to quilt. now i just need to get the 11+ quilted.

i pieced the back & i love how it turned out. i mentioned to a co-worker that i was thinking of selling it & she bought it. hello more fabric.

i was hired by a friend to make a baby quilt for her sister who is expecting a girl. i took my box of pink scraps to camp with no plan for the quilt in mind. i went through my scraps & pulled light pinks. then went to the cutting table & cut them to 6" with varying lengths. i then began to lay out rows.

i added a boarder & this is what i got. i call it my WAG quilt which stands for 'wild ass guess' because i had no plan & it turned out pretty good. i will be quilting it next week at my next quilt camp.

i got the last 2 boarders on my modern siggy swap quilt. finally. i was working on this quilt in March when the call came that my niece was about to be born. sad to say i not had touched it since then. but, its now finished & ready to be quilted.

i finished this quilt top which started out as a quilt along in blogland that stopped at block #9. i picked 3 more star blocks & sewed them up then laid out the quilt with sashing & corner stones. another quilted needing to be quilted.

drum roll please.......

my Cartwheel quilt top is finished. i LOVE this quilt. i LOVE the fabric in it. i LOVE the pattern. i LOVE it all.

i laid out all of the blocks at camp & played with the layout some. then i asked what some of the gals thought. we moved some blocks around & walked away from it. came back awhile later & looked at it. i still liked how the layout was. so i picked up the rows in order & labeled them.

when i got to the point of being ready to sew the rows together i laid out the quilt again. making sure for a 3rd & final time that i was happy with the layout. i was. so now its finished. another quilt needing quilted.

what would a quilt camp be for me without a bag. so, i made this one. i took a couple of patterns to camp with me. some fabric. some supplies. i had nothing pre-cut & ready to go this time.

the pattern is from Pink Sand Beach Designs. its called Huntington Hobo. there is an outside zipper pocket which you can see in the 1st pic. the bag also has a zippered closure which was sort of new for me. it went together really well & so now i might do some more bags with zippered closures.

i love the lining fabric. bright & fun. the pattern calls for 1 set of pockets but when i make this again i will do pockets on both sides of the inside. i haven't sewin shut the lining yet because i want to add some heavy duty interfacing to the bottom for stability which the pattern doesn't call for.

so there you have it. what i have been doing in the land of sewing for the past 7 days. quilt camp was a lot of fun & we had a lot of laughs.

i leave next Wednesday for another camp. so hopefully i will get a lot done at that camp as well.

also, i noticed that this is my 199th post. after post number 200 i will be hosting another giveaway so check back soon.

Quilt Camp II

2011-09-27T14:34:00.000-07:00

here is my 2nd post from the quilt camp that i was at this past weekend.

a flip flop quilt made by Leslie.

a Strip Search quilt made by Shelly.

this quilt was done by Joyce & her daughter. hand embroidery. amazing.

another top pieced by Shelly.

a top by Jacki.

a ring bearer's pillow by Leslie.

a fun pot-holder that Rhonda brought supplies for & showed everyone how to make them.

a project by Sharon. not sewin together yet. its amazing what you see in a picture that you don't see with your eyes.

a top by Leslie.

an amazing quilt top by Joanie.

a few gals did the race car quilt. this is Shelly's.

this is Leslie's.

tomorrow you will see what i did while i was at this quilt camp.

i realized last night that my next quilt camp is next week. eek!!!!!! i leave Wednesday. its a mini one in McCall with the Renegades. i have some stuff ready and some stuff to get ready.

fun fun

Quilt Camp I

2011-09-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

this past weekend i was at quilt camp. first one of the season. we had a fun group of ladies & we all got a lot done. here are a few pics from camp. i will be doing a few posts from this camp.

a top finished by Shelly.

at this camp we were asked to make a baby size quilt top for a charity project.

this is mine.

this is Shelly's.

this is Sharon's.

Elizabeth made this adorable baby bonnet. this camp was filled with some amazingly talented women.

2 baby quilts by Shelly.

a king size quilt top put together by Joanie. its a monster.

check back for another post from quilt camp with more projects.

the month of September is coming to a close this week. the weather is cooler and the days are shorter. i am sad to see September go. i had a great month with 3 amazing & unforgettable trips. thanks a million to those people who made those trips possible.

WIP Wednesday (a day late)

2011-09-22T04:04:00.000-07:00

a day late but hey that is how things have been for me this month.

i am leaving bright & early this morning for quilt camp. i packed the car last night & as i got things ready i took a few pics of stuff i will be working on at camp.

i have all of the blocks done for my Cartwheel quilt. so i will be getting these sewed together. i can't wait to see how it turns out.

i will finish sewing together this simple baby quilt. Rhonda who puts together this camp has each of her campers do a baby quilt top for a charity & then she quilts & binds them. i know. great idea.

i have a Bee block to put together.

i am going to attempt to quilt this quilt. depending upon the space i have.

as well as my Opening Day quilt.

i am also taking along my fabric for my drunkards path quilt. i have no idea if i will get to it because there are several other projects that i packed but didn't take pics of. par for the course for me this month. lots going on & not enough time to focus on what to take to camp. so my logic was 'when in doubt - pack it.'

i will be posting some from camp so you can see my progress.

this is my last journey away from home for a couple of weeks. it will be nice to have sometime at home. however, my next trip is to another quilt camp.

happy sewing!

WIP Wednesday

2011-09-14T17:50:00.000-07:00

i have had a busy & active past 7 days. 4 of those days were spent on a long weekend out of town. again. however, i did get some stuff accomplished in the world of sewing.

i completed all of the fussy cutting for my final 3 blocks on my Cartwheel quilt.

the remaining fabric after the fussy cutting. i don't like the idea of wasting any of my Prince Charming.

this quilt spent the long weekend with me. i have some great memories now every time i look at this quilt. another quilt went as well but it shall remain unseen for now.

i started this the weekend before while i was at the Gorge. i just have the hands & tie to finish up & i can get it off to its new owner.

i have this weekend at home then i am off to a quilt camp next Thursday. a weekend home & then another camp after that. its the season for quilt camps. time to get all of those gifts made and wips finished up.

WIP Wednesday

2011-09-07T18:52:00.000-07:00

hey all......

not much sewing done these past 7 days. i mean how could i when i spent 3 1/2 of them at the Gorge in George, WA watching the Dave Matthews Band. annual tradition that didn't disappoint at all this year.

video of the band closing out the show on Sunday night. so much energy. its amazing to get to go to every year.

i did start a little hand project on the trip. its for a friend. not sure if she will make the connection or not but i am posting it anyways. i also got some fussy cutting done for my Cartwheel quilt. maybe some progress on that next week.

this weekend i am off for another long weekend.

WIP Wednesday

2011-08-31T18:15:00.000-07:00

i have been busy in sewing land the past week. getting things done & checked off of my to do list. here are 2 of my bee blocks that needed to get done for August.

both gals wanted wonky star blocks. so thanks to them the blocks were easy.

this past weekend i knocked out the quilting & binding on this quilt.

i made the top awhile back with a quilt along over at ps i quilt. but i never got it quilted or bound.

i decided that i needed to get it done so it could come to the Gorge with me this weekend for the Dave Matthews Band shows.

its a little wild & wacky. sort of like me at the concerts. so its fitting to be going along.

i also got 3 more of my Cartwheel blocks done.

now i am left with the last 3 that all have frogs in them. i have all of the frogs traced on the fabric & some of them cut. maybe during the days this weekend i can work on getting the rest of the frogs cuts out & ready for the blocks.

tomorrow is September 1st. i have been waiting for September to get here since January. September is going to be a great month for me. kicking it off with a long weekend at the Gorge to see my favorite band & spend sometime with friends. then another long weekend away after that. a weekend at home then another long weekend at quilt camp.

so not much sewing will be getting done over the next couple of weeks which i am okay with. i will take my hand work along but if i don't touch it i don't care. my focus is going to be on other things.

i will still post each Wednesday it just might not be about sewing.

enjoy September everyone. its about time it got here.

WIP Wednesday

2011-08-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

hey there. i hope that you all are doing well. i have been getting some sewing done this past week. i finished my Opening Day quilt (finally) which i posted about here. i have since been working on my Cartwheel quilt.

i love this block. i fussy cut the fabric so that the frog head is in each one. lots of work but totally worth it.

i have 6 blocks done & i am almost done with another 3.

the final 3 will all have the frog in them. i haven't cut that fabric yet so that will take me some time. i hope to have them finished up this coming weekend & the top together.

September is a packed month for me kicking it off at the Gorge to see DMB & ending it with a quilt camp & a lot of fun stuff in between.

The Winners Are

2011-08-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

i have sent emails to the winners. if you are one of them please email me your mailing information so i can get your prize out to you.

renegadequilter (at) hotmail (dot) com

and the winners are......

of the 2 Bareroots wool kits

Kell said...

Congrats on reaching 100 followers!

August 18, 2011 8:05 PM

Doo Da Daisy quilt pattern by Amy Bradley Designs

Teresa Felgueiras said...

You have a new follower: ME!

August 15, 2011 11:25 PM

Freebird layer cake by MoMo

Pam said...

Very nice giveaway, thanks.

August 14, 2011 4:59 PM

thanks for all of the entries & i see that i am getting closer to my 200th post. i think i will have to do another giveaway at that time.

Finally.....

2011-08-18T16:30:00.000-07:00

if you are looking for the giveaway click here.

finally......

its finally finished. i finished my Opening Day quilt.

its not quilted.

but the top is finally finished.

after..... 2 plus years & what i am sure was a million pieces.

its finished.

i think i got the pattern on my 1st trip to Sisters. i got the fabric on maybe my 3rd trip to Sisters. its made with fat quarters & i am very pleased with how it turned out.

WIP Wednesday

2011-08-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

if you are looking for the giveaway click here.

i am pulling this baby back out & working on it again. i have finally gotten caught up with a few things so its time to have some fun. its my Cartwheels quilt that i started in Sisters.

i am looking forward to seeing the next few blocks come together.

i have also been working on my Opening Day quilt. the sides are on & now i have to put together the 2 boarders for the top & the bottom. i hope that by this weekend this quilt top will be finished.

16 days to go until the Gorge. if this was a normal year i would have already seen the Dave Matthews Band a time or 2 by now. but, nothing about this year has been normal for me.

i hope you all are getting a lot done. happy sewing.

Giveaway Time!!!!

2011-08-14T11:48:00.000-07:00

thanks to Sarah from over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict i have reached over 100 followers. so, with that achieved i must have a giveaway. not just one chance to win something but three chances to win.
item # 1 - Freebird layer cake by MoMo

item #2 - Doo Da Daisy quilt pattern by Amy Bradley Designs

item #3 - two wool projects both patterns are from Bareroots. Turkey Candle Mat & Fall Leaves Candle Mat.

so to win - what do you need to do??????

for 1 entry - leave me a comment.

for another entry - blog, tweet or facebook about my giveaway & come back here & leave me a comment letting me know you did that.

for another entry - become a follower of my blog. if you are already a follower let me know that as well.

so, that gives you 3 chances to enter. you must leave a comment for each entry. one comment saying you did all 3 will not work.

i will leave the giveaway open until Friday the 19th 5:00 pm (pst). i will post the winners on Saturday the 20th. international entries are welcome.

good luck.

WIP Wednesday

2011-08-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

hey there. i know i am a day late with this. but, as they say. better late then never right? i did some sewing this past weekend but not anything that i can show you. what i can show you are these two adorable monsters.
my brother & his family came into town this past weekend. i got to help watch the girls for a couple of nights. my brother & SIL were worried that the little one would be hard for me at bedtime. she was a dream. the big monster was another story. in short it was 10:00 or after by the time she got to bed & grandma did the trick both nights.

i love this pic. i just had to share it. she is so much fun with her faces and noises that she is making.

this past week i did finish up Roxanne's baby quilt. i think i showed you a pic of it but it wasn't bound yet.

i just did simple diagonal quilting on it.

the backing is flannel.

went together super quick. the baby was due August 7th & i wanted to get it to Roxanne before she had her.

today is August 11th & poor Roxanne still hasn't had the baby. we are all trying to come up with ways to get her to go into labor. its pretty funny around here.

on another note. i see that i am almost to 100 followers. once i hit 100 i will have to find something to giveaway. so spread the word & lets get those 2 additional followers.

22 days until the Gorge & Dave Matthews Band. woo hoo.

hope you all are having a great week.

Cartwheels Class With Tula Pink

2011-08-07T16:00:00.000-07:00

you all know by now that i took a class from Tula Pink when i was at Sisters this year for their Outdoor Quilt Show. i have been wanting to get this post up but time & issues with Blogger it has taken me longer then i wanted it to. but here it is.

the class that i took was her Cartwheels quilt pattern. she brought her quilt with her. not only is the pattern amazing but the quilting on it is amazing as well. it was quilted by Angela Walters. the detail in the quilting is wonderful & it really accents the pattern.

the back of one of Tula's quilts that has her Parisville Hair Spray Can label on it. Love It!!!

one of the quilts that Tula brought to share with us was this one that she had played around with removing color from the fabric. as you can see above the pink/red has been removed from the flowers. this was done with Rit Color Remover. Rite Color Remover removes the red dye from the fabric 1st.

this whole quilt has had the fabric altered either one way or another. Tula told us that she also uses bleach to change the coloring of fabric. we all gasped when we heard that. she said that she starts with 2 cups of bleach in a medium to full washer. bleach removes yellow dye from the fabric 1st.

again, here is a pic showing the normal fabric on the left with the pink feathers & then the color removed fabric on the right with the neutral colored feathers.

another quilt that Tula brought to share is her Spiked Punch pattern. she said that this quilt was made mostly from scraps & that it is her most popular pattern.

Tula also shared her Modern Alphabet quilt with us. she was teaching that class the next day. she showed us the fabric that she was going to be using & she had picked a navy for the background. i wonder how that quilt turned out?

taking a class from her is great. i learned a lot from her. one of the greatest things i learned from her is how she pins her fabric. yes. she pins her fabric. Tula said that she is a traditionalist when it comes to the sewing part of making quilts. anyways, back to pinning. most people pin their fabric like i have the pins on the top half. Tula pins her fabric like i have the pins on the bottom half. i asked her why & she told me that they are easier to take out as she is sewing. she just uses her right hand & flicks the pins out as they go by before the needle. i tried it in class & its now how i pin. it really saves time because you don't have to stop & remove pins. you just keep sewing & flicking them out as you go. i then used my magnetic pin holder to gather them all up.

a few other sewing things that i learned from Tula during the class is that she sews most everything with grey thread.

she also sews standing up. yep. we talked a lot about that one because i have back issues & that is the reason she sews standing up. its easier on her back. she just uses bed risers to raise up her sewing table.

oh, she also has 3 machines that each have a project on them at all times. that way if she gets board with one she can move onto something else. brilliant idea. now i just need a couple more machines.

Tula is great to take a class from. she helped me put my fabrics together for my Cartwheel quilt. Tula has a great story of how she got into the business & you can tell how passionate she is about what she does. she cranks out the quilts as well each year. i think she told us anywhere from 80 to 100 each year.

i know i already shared these but this is what i got done in class with her.

i am getting caught back up on some sewing stuff & hoping to get back to this quilt soon. i really would like to get it finished because i love Prince Charming & i want to get it done to see it all together.

if you ever have the chance to take a class from Tula Pink don't think twice about it. do it. it is well worth the time. she is a wealth of knowledge & a blast to spend a day with.

thanks Tula for the education, the fun & the memories.

WIP Wednesday

2011-08-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

i'm back. i think. for awhile there i thought i had lost my mind and then someone told me 'you haven't really lost your mind. you may have stopped paying attention to it, but it's still there.' very true statement. so, i am going to start paying attention to it & maybe i will get some stuff done.
so this is what i have been up to with regards to sewing.
a few bee blocks for the different bee groups that i belong to.

i am caught up with my July blocks & now i need to get to work on the August blocks.

i have also been working on a baby quilt for a gal i work with. its roughly 48" by 48" so i went to my scraps of batting to see if i had something that would work. i didn't but i did have 2 pieces that i could sew together to make work. have you ever done this before? i just put the 2 edges together and zigzag down them.

it works great for using up those scrap pieces of batting.

i found this fabric on my trip to Sisters & knew it would be perfect for the baby quilt.

i did simple squares just alternating the 2 fabrics. i had lost the light by the time i got it quilted last night so its a bad picture. once i get the binding on i will take another one to share with you.

the backing is flannel except for 1 corner of it. somehow i did the math wrong on that trip and was short. that was the 1st part of July when i had lost my brain. now that i know its still there i shouldn't be having issues like this. right??????

hope you all are having a great week!

Sisters 2011

2011-08-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

here are just a few.... ok several pictures of quilts that caught my eye at the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show this year.

winning block from the block challenge.
all of the block challenge entries.

always have to take a shot of main street & all of the people.

quilts hung on the side of the Stitchin' Post.

hope you enjoyed them as much as i did. i will be doing a seperate post on 'Space Dust' by Tula Pink. look for it soon as well as a post about the class that i took from her while at Sisters.

Sisters Bag

2011-07-31T07:13:00.000-07:00

ok, so this is my 3rd attempt at this post. 1st it posted last week without pics. 2nd i re-did it this morning & went to post it & the words were gone. grrrrrr.................. i am not loving Blogger right now.
each year i go to Sisters for their Outdoor Quilt Show. i go with with a group of friends & i have a rule that you must make a bag to take to Sisters. so this is my bag for our 2011 trip.

the fabric is Prince Charming by Tula Pink. laminate on the bottom and regular cotton on the top.

i used the Teardrop Bag pattern from this Amy Butler book. i mainly followed the pattern with the exception of the pockets on the inside. i did those a little different.

i love how the 2 frogs show up on the sides of the bag. this was my 2nd attempt at this bag. the 1st time i had the frog in the middle & with the pleat you couldn't see him. so i cut a 2nd bag & like this much better.

a shot of the inside of my bag. i used a magnetic closure on the bag. i like the kind that are sewin in on the wrong side of the fabric. with these you are not pulling at the fabric each time you open your bag.

so there you have it. my 2011 Sisters bag. i got a lot of comments on it while i was at Sisters. people liked it because of the colors & shape. then they realized that there were frogs on it & liked it even more.

i use the bag often & really enjoy it. i have a couple more posts from my trip to Sisters that i hope to get up this week.

on another note. the quilt top that i made for Venezie Designs was featured here in a blog post. also, you should go check out Sarah's blog Confessions of a Fabric Addict & see all of the quilts that were made for the H2H Challenge.

WIP Wednesday

2011-07-27T08:09:00.000-07:00

1st of all can i get a Woo Hoo!!!! i am posting WIP Wednesday & its actually Wednesday. ha ha ha. i am doing this post on Monday night before i leave for California. if all goes according to plan it should post on Wednesday. we will see if i did it right.
this fabric caught my eye at a shop in Redmond, OR when we were on our Sisters trip. i love the color of it but i also love the dragon flies as well as the bugs and spiders on it. strange i know. anyways, i was thinking skirt when i saw the fabric.

so that is what i made. i love how it turned out. i will be wearing it on my trip with a black top & some new black shoes that i got. it will be interesting to see what if any comments i get on it.

the pattern is from Amy Butler its her Barcelona Skirts pattern. i made the A line one. i ended up cutting off about 4" to get it to the length i wanted. the skirt is lined and it went together fairly easy.

i have other fabric that i bought on that trip to make another skirt as well.

i hope you all are having a great week. i will get to go see Mickey tomorrow as our closing event is at Disneyland.

Hands 2 Help Update

2011-07-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

I JUST REALIZED THAT I TOOK DOWN THIS POST.......... NO IDEA WHY.... SEE I REALLY DON'T HAVE A BRAIN......

the Hands 2 Help Charity Challenge quilts have been shipped. whew. i wasn't sure if i was going to get that done before i leave for California tomorrow. in the box is a total of 4 quilts. 3 from me and this 1 from my friend Barb.
Barb did a simple Turning Twenty. i love how it shows off the fabric & the quilting on it is amazing. it was done by a local quilter.

her backing fabric is adorable as well. very fun & playful.

this is my 3rd one finished. i think i showed pics of the top awhile back. i finally got it quilted and bound. i had a fight with my machine on this one. breaking threads, needles and such. it think its time for a much needed service.

so, there are the 4 of them. ready for their new homes in Romania. i love the idea that someone in another part of this world will find comfort in something that i made.

i know that we are all busy with life & such but if you have the chance to help someone with the comfort of a quilt. do it. take the time. it will be time well spent.

a huge THANK YOU to Sarah from Confessions of a Fabric Addict for putting this all together. Sarah you are an amazing person who has one of the biggest hearts i know of. i am so lucky that our paths crossed in blogland.

WIP Whatever...

2011-07-21T16:10:00.000-07:00

remember this stack of fabric i showed you sometime ago? lovely isn't it? anyways, i was sent this fabric along with a pattern to sew up a quilt top for Karen from Venezie Designs for her shop.
the pattern I did was Chain Reaction from Cluck. Cluck Sew. so that pile of fabric turned into this quilt.

not the best pic but its set in a nice grey solid.

it was an easy pattern to make & i loved working with colors that i normally don't work with.

thanks Karen for letting me be a part of your shop on the other side of the country.

my health still has been somewhat of an issue so i haven't spent much time with my machine lately. i am planning on sitting down this evening to do some quilting.

wish me luck.

WIP Whatever....

2011-07-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

you know that song from The Wizard of Oz..... 'if I only had a brain' yep that one. that has been my theme song since about the beginning of July. i have lost my mind & i am just about ready to give up looking for it. i know that i have several posts to get caught up on. the class with Tula Pink. shopping at Sisters. the quilt show itself. i know. i know. i need to find my mind. soon.
here are a couple of pics of my purchases at Sisters.
i am slightly impressed that the stacks are not of all green fabric. remember though i didn't have my brain with me on this trip so that could explain the lack of green.
just a few shots of quilts that caught my eye from the show.
yes, i will be doing a whole post with more pics of quilts.
of course i couldn't do a post & not include this one. Space Dust by Tula Pink. i have a million pics of it & the quilting on it. AMAZING to say the least.

i did sew this past week. in the class at Sister's. i got two Cartwheel blocks done.
i am excited with how they turned out & i want nothing more then to finish up the rest of them. but, i have several other things to sew before i can get to that. i have a baby quilt to get cut out, sewin together, quilted and bound by this Saturday. i told you i lost my mind. i have a store sample that i am working on for someone that needs to get done ASAP. i have another project that i need to get back to. plus a million more other things. not to mention the fact that my health is not cooperating with me & i have made weekly trips out of town to the doc. maybe i will find my mind soon & i can get some of this stuff done.

Sisters Day 1

2011-07-08T09:11:00.000-07:00

day 1 is under our belts here at Sisters. this was the 1st year that i have taken a class at Sisters. they have classes going the whole week prior to the Outdoor Quilt Show. my friend Shelly took the class with me. we did Tula Pink's Cartwheel pattern with Tula.

here is a pic of Tula's Cartwheel quilt. the quilting on it is amazing. it was done by Angela Walters.
of course i had to get a pic with Tula. she is so much fun to take a class from. we learned a lot & met a lot of wonderful people.
then a pic of my partner in crime Shelly & me. we don't often get to spend a whole day together & it was great catching up, sewing & goofing off.

last night we went shopping at The Stitchin Post which was great. i will post more pics about the class when i get a chance. for now we are off to more quilt shops for some retail therapy.

Sisters

2011-07-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

as most of you know i go to Sisters, OR each year for their Outdoor Quilt Show. its about a 6 hour drive for us but we make an adventure out of & have lots of fun getting there. this year will be (i think) my 6th year of attending the show. after the 1st couple of years i wanted to do something more then just go to the show. so 1st i did their quilt block challenge which i did again this year. then i decided to put a couple quilts in the show. last year i only did the block challenge but this year is different.

this year i not only did the block challenge but i have put 3 quilts in the show this year.

this in my Hope Valley Sampler quilt that i did from Amy's QA over at Amy's Creative Side.
i love the back of it just about as much as i love the front of it.
i call this quilt Cotton Candy because of all the soft color in it. the pattern is Strip Search. it was a fun one to make and it went together very quickly.
this quilt i call Red Box. i made it from KarrieLyne's QA over at Freckled Whimsy. KarrieLyne taught us the basic block & then showed us several ways we could lay them out to get different looks.

as most of you know i am also taking a class at Sisters this year. i have talked & talked about it each year i have gone but never have done anything about it. until i was on Twitter and learned that Tula Pink is going to be there teaching a class. the little girl inside of me was screaming with joy & jumping up & down. Shelly & i are taking her class on Thursday which will be a blast.

i hope to do a couple blog posts from the Sisters trip this year. so check back to see what kind of trouble we found along the way.

Not A WIP Wednesday Post

2011-06-29T16:50:00.000-07:00

this is a not WIP Wednesday post. sorry i don't have the 'whatever' to get one together this evening. i thought about waiting until tomorrow but i have just decided to skip it all together this week. i am spent for the day & i am looking forward to a bowl of vanilla ice cream & my bed.

however, this past week something wonderful did happen. DMB kicked off their (way to short) summer concert season. they played 3 nights in Atlantic City this past weekend. the set lists from the shows were great & i am getting excited to see them at the Gorge in September.

i wasn't in Atlantic City but i got this photo from thekey.xpn.org they have some great shots on their site from this past weekend.

before i leave you all i have one question for you. could someone please tell me where the 1st half of this year went?

i am at a loss with how quickly this year is going. next week this time i will be in Sisters Oregon for their quilt show. to me it seems like we just got done with winter.

please tell me i am not the only one feeling this way.......

Sara's Baby Quilt

2011-06-27T16:22:00.000-07:00

i have a great friend Sara who is expecting her 2nd child which is a girl. i told her that i wanted to make her a quilt & i asked her what her colors were going to be. orange, brown & pink. i had never worked with those colors together before. Sara was specific "not a lot of pink".

so this is what i came up with. a main fabric with all 3 colors in it set with simple 4 patches done mostly in brown and oranges with a few pinks mixed in.

i love how it turned out. it is so Sara. funky with a little edge to it.
the backing was fun as well.
i picked up this print on a trip to Seattle thinking i would use it to make a bag. but when i went looking for a back for the quilt this was a perfect fit.
colors were smack on & the touch of whimsy fit right in as well.
i am looking forward to giving it to Sara this week & seeing the look on her face. i hope that she is as pleased with it as i am.

WIP Wednesday

2011-06-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

what a week it has been for me. i am glad that i have had some sewing to get me some what grounded.
this fun little pile came from making 2 bee blocks for a group that i am in. gotta love making hst.

i hope that she likes her blocks as much as i do.

i also made some burp clothes for some new baby's that were born in the past few weeks. my cousins were each expecting & they had their daughters just a little over 4 hours apart. just enough time that they don't share the same birthday.

i worked on my 3rd H2H quilt & got the top done. its a simple top that didn't take long at all. i ended up cutting out some of the castles and appliqued them to a solid green block. just a touch of whimsy for the center of the quilt.

now i need to figure out the backing and get it quilted and bound.

i also finished the last blocks for my Opening Day quilt. now i just need to lay it all out & get the top sewin together.

i have another friend expecting a baby girl soon & she is doing brown, orange & pink. i found this great print when i was in Boise a few weeks back.

i am pairing it up with 4 patches of brown & orange as well as a few with pink in them as well. she was very specific 'not to much pink.'

i have also started to hack up this stack of fabric. i picked this up in Boise as well. i am a huge fan of Sweetwater & i love their Countdown To Christmas line.

i am doing Rachel's quilt along over at ps i quilt. so far we have just been told to cut but i am looking forward to the end result.

that has been my progress this past week. i am looking forward to a weekend of sewing again. i need to prep my fabric for Sisters which is 2 weeks away. i can't believe it is that close. i am sort of freaking out wondering where this year has gone.

i have also had a few doctor appointments this past week. today will be my 4th one. lots of windshield time. i have issues with my health & when i was in Boise something new developed & so 3 docs & 4 appointments later we might have a solution to this new development. my whole health thing can become overwhelming if i let it. so i stay busy sewing a lot so i don't really think about it.

i hope that you are making progress on whatever you are working on. i have read a lot on blogs that people slow down in the warmer weather & don't sew as much. not me. i hate the heat so i live in my basement during the summer months & sew to my hearts content.

WIP Wednesday

2011-06-15T16:31:00.001-07:00

i was in Boise this past week hanging out with these two monsters.

i did take a couple projects to work on while i was there.

i finally finished block #5 on my Quilter's Journey quilt. i have #6 ready to start stitching on.

i also got the templates cut out for the class i am taking in Sisters.

when i got home i had this nice little stack of fabric waiting for me. more about this later.

i have the final blocks of my Opening Day quilt ready to go. i need to get this finished up soon so i can move onto another project.

A Great Book

2011-06-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

i ordered this book from Julie over at jaybird quilts when i first heard about it. that was back in ummmm..... March maybe. not for sure though. anyways, it came the week before i left for Boise. i was going to do a post about it but i lent it to a friend. i just got it back. so here is Fresh Fabric Treats. a great book from Moda & some of their bakers from the Moda Bake Shop.

its a great book to have. it is filled with all sorts of great projects. from quilts. to bags. to everything in between.

Julie even signed it for me.

now i just need to find the time to make some of these projects.

WIP Wednesday

2011-06-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

wow, no post between my WIP Wednesday posts. i must have been busy. busy getting ready to be gone for a week. busy working at my job so that i am not to far behind when i get back home.

i have been in Boise since Sunday helping to take care of my 3 year old & 3 month old nieces. my SIL had to go back for that last week of school. Monday & Tuesday she did half days but today she will be gone a little longer. let me just say...... i don't know how she does it. hats off to all of the moms out there. i think that you must be given extra energy & patience when you have a baby. taking care of kids is work & those moms who have a job outside of the home & have kids. amazing.

i didn't get to spend anytime with my machine before i left so no new updates there. i did bring my hand project down & i have made some progress on it.

i am almost done with block #5. i just have to finish the string around the outside.

the other project that i brought with me is this fabric. i need to get the templates cut out & start cutting up the fabric. this is for the class that i am taking at Sister's from Tula Pink in July. i thought it was fitting to use Prince Charming for a class from her.

its Wednesday & i will be heading home on Saturday. i don't know what i was thinking when i brought both projects with me. the days have been flying by. i honestly don't know how moms who have kids at home get all of their sewing done. i am sure that there is some secret to it that i don't know. the only thing that i can think of is no sleep.

i hope that you are all making progress on whatever it is that you are working on.

WIP Wednesday

2011-06-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

yes i know its Thursday & not Wednesday but Wednesday got interrupted by stuff. you can read more about it here. i am happy to report that i did not end up in the hospital or jail. the meeting this morning went well & the issue was resolved. i am frustrated by the way i was treated yesterday & that at the meeting this morning my dad was present & the individual was most agreeable and understanding. why are people like that? is it because i am a female in what use to be a man's world? whatever the reason maybe it makes me mad. i am working my way through it with lots of ice cream and music. hahaha......

not much progress in the sewing area of my life this past week. my favorite two monsters came to town with their parents for the long weekend. i spent a lot of time with them.

how could i not?

i also spent one day of the long weekend on the couch with the stomach flu. major yuck.

i did get my tumblers all together & now i need to cut & sew on the boarder for it.

i also got a bee block done for a group that i am in.

i sewed up some pillowcases for some soldiers which i learned about over at Vicky's blog LA Quilter. an amazing story about an amazing woman. if you have the time read it.

i also machine appliqued these heart blocks for a gal in our H2H group who has recently experienced a loss in her family.

a little progress on my Opening Day quilt but no pics of it.

i have a few days left at home & then i head to Boise to spend a week help taking care of my favorite monsters. i am really looking forward to spending time with them. who knows i might even have some time to hit a quilt store or 2 or 3........

fyi

2011-06-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

i know that today is Wednesday however my body is stuck either on Monday or Tuesday. today totally felt like a Monday so that is what i am going with. i had the best intention of getting my WIP Wednesday post up but my afternoon/evening took on a whole new direction.

my regular job got in the way. BIG TIME. i got home from work after running errands on the way home & then got the call. the call that pushed all of my wrong buttons & had me speaking in a very loud voice into my phone as i headed back to my car to go back to work. did you know anger is a very powerful emotion. i rediscovered that just this evening. i know i should do a better job at reacting to things because i can control how i react. but at this point i really don't care. i am mad & upset by what happened. so upset that i am having ice cream for dinner.

we are meeting at 7:30 tomorrow morning to solve this issue. the other party involved had better see things through my eyes or tomorrow will be worse then today. my plan is to do my WIP Wednesday post tomorrow evening. if for some reason that doesn't happen you know that things got ugly & that i am either recovering in the hospital or sitting in a jail cell.

Hands 2 Help Update

2011-05-29T05:52:00.000-07:00

just a quick update on my Hands 2 Help quilts.

here is the front of quilt #1.

here is the back of quilt #1.

here is the back of quilt #2.

here is the front of quilt #2.

here is the fabric for quilt #3.

no idea yet what pattern i am going to use.

any suggestions????

WIP Wednesday

2011-05-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

whew, what a week so far. i was down the 1st two days of the week with a bad back. headed back to work today & played catch-up. then raced home to catch the final Oprah show which was well worth the rush to see it.

in sewing land i did get 1 thing finished & i didn't even use my machine. ha. can you believe it. i almost didn't. for the last few years i have been entering the Sister's Outdoor Quilt Show Block Challenge - say that 5 times fast. anyways, when i got the fabric it didn't inspire me. i was sort of stuck as to what to do with it. then mama Denise took a look at it & said that she saw a butterfly.

i agreed & made this. all hand appliqued. those that know me might need revived right now. i am not a fan of applique in fact i call it the 'A' word. however, this small project was not to bad. mama Denise thinks she might have converted me to liking applique but i am still on the fence. a small project here or there i am okay with. a whole quilt is another issue.

i got the bazillion flying geese sewin together in their rows & two of the row attached to the side of my Opening Day quilt.
i have started on the next step for the final blocks for this quilt.
and because i wanted some no thinking required sewing i sewed together a few rows of my tumbler blocks as well.

now for the way cool, super exciting, over the top, fantabulous news..........

i am in love. head over heels in love. it arrived on my door step today & its a prince. bet you didn't know you can order those online did you?

yep, Prince Charming arrived today. thank God for online fabric shops. i love you almost as much as i love this fabric. the fabric above will be turned into my bag for Sister's this year. the top print is laminate & i am really looking forward to sewing with it.

don't you just love the frog?

this box was also on my door step today & inside is some more.........

Prince Charming by Tula Pink

yep, the whole line.

i could not resist. its bright, fun, whimsical, amazing, creative........... its love.

i love the frog but i think this is my favorite print with the turtle, the bicycle, the rain drops & everything else that is in this print. Tula Pink knocked it out of the freakin park with this line of fabric. run don't walk to your local quilt shops if they have this line. get online & start pushing buttons. seriously people this is a must have.

i am off to sew some hearts.......

What Is Worth $100

2011-05-23T14:25:00.000-07:00

$100

what is worth $100 to you?

each of us would answer that differently because we each place a different value on things. something that is important to me might not be as important to others.

i was with a group of people awhile back & heard a story about someone paying $100 for something that i thought was ridiculous to pay that much for. i decided that item must have been really wanted/needed by its purchaser however i still thought it was crazy.

so crazy that i have shared the story a few times. one of the times being with my friends at my mini quilt camp that i had at my house. they too thought the person overpaid for what they got. us being us & being a little off center that weekend we ended up turning it into a joke.

'hey can i borrow your scissors for sec?' response 'sure for $100'

'will you refill my glass of water when you go upstairs' response 'sure for $100'
'would you mind if i used some of your spray baste?' response 'no problem for $100'

'do you have a thread in this color that i could borrow?' response 'yep, for $100'

'would you mind stopping & getting us a coffee' response 'sure for $100'

everything was $100 that weekend. let me tell you it was hard to keep track of who owed who what by the time the weekend was over.

so back to the question that started it all. what is worth $100 to you?
fabric, groceries, a new outfit, books, music, etc....

i personally think that the person who paid $100 for that stuff they got - got taken advantage of but that's my opinion & maybe it was worth the $100 to them.

so from that quilt camp forward we will have the catch phrase 'sure for $100' anytime someone asks to use, borrow or get something for them.

so with this post the buck stops here. sorry couldn't resist.

the story never to be told again but to be referred to often with our new catch phrase.

'sure for $100'

Spray Baste Tutorial

2011-05-20T17:19:00.000-07:00

i have never done a tutorial before (that i know of) on my blog. however, when i showed a pic of us spray basting quilts in this post i had a few people ask how i do it? and, how i do it & don't get any wrinkles in it.

so here i go. i am going to try & cover it step by step.

first, & usually the most challenging part of this is finding a space big enough for the quilt that you want to spray baste. i have a large table at work that i sometimes use. however, in this case we used my driveway. its large & its flat so it worked.

i have a tarp that i use just for spray basting. you want to protect the surface that you are spraying on. now in the driveway it was more to keep the quilts clean then anything. i rinse off my tarp with a garden hose after i am done spray basting so that when i put the tarp away it doesn't stick to itself.

so once you have the tarp spread out i then lay out my batting. i make sure that it is smooth and wrinkle free. my blogland friend Sarah who blogs over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict told me that she will tape the corners of her batting down.

as you can see in the pic below my tarp is silver on one side & blue on the other. so you can see the silver of the tarp, a little bit of the batting & then the backing fabric.

once you have the batting ready i then lay the backing fabric over the batting. smoothing it out as needed. both the batting & the backing fabric have been already cut to the correct size that is needed for the quilt top. i try & leave 2 1/2" to 3" of batting & backing all the way around the quilt. that way i am not fighting the quilt top to get it to fit just right on the batting. i have some room to work with.

just a close up shot of the tarp, batting & backing fabric.

at the time i took theses pics i didn't know i would be doing a tutorial on it. i don't have pics of us folding back the backing fabric. but, the process is the same for the back as it is for the front of the quilt.

once you have the batting and backing fabric ready i then visually notate where the center of the quilt is - roughly. you don't have to be exact. i then start on one end & fold the backing fabric or the quilt top (depending upon which side you are working on) back onto itself about 6". i continue to fold 6" sections until i am roughly to the center of the quilt.

as you can see in this picture below we have folded back the quilt top to the halfway mark & we have begun to spray.

there are several different types of spray baste on the market but i just use whatever Joann's carries. at Joann's its considered a quilting notion so when those go 50% off i stock up.

when you are spraying the adhesive i always spray the batting & never the fabric. doesn't matter if you are working or the front or the back of the quilt. always spray the batting.

i have found that shaking the can well before beginning helps & keeping the can roughly 12"to 15" away from the batting as you are spraying. if this is new to you or you have done it before & not had good luck with it my one tip would be to go lightly with the spray. don't over spray your batting that will just cause problems for you. i typically do a very light spray over the half that i am working on. then i touch the batting to feel for my coverage. if there is a spot that needs a little more i will spray some more there. its sort of like cooking. you can always add a little more but its hard to take out the extra.

once that half of the batting is sprayed i then get down on my hands & knees & begin to unfold those 6" sections back onto the batting. going slow & making sure not to create any wrinkles. if a wrinkle does occur you can easily pull back the fabric and reset it. its sort of like hand pressing the fabric into the adhesive. take your time & you will be pleased with the outcome.

once one half is finished we fold back the other half. when you get towards the center of the quilt you will be able to tell where you have already spray basted. the fabric will be married to the batting. once you have the backing fabric basted to the batting then flip it over. if you have 2 people its much easier. repeat the same process with the quilt top. smooth out the batting that has the backing already attached. layout your quilt top on the batting making sure its smooth. begin at one end & fold the quilt onto itself every 6" until you reach the center. spray & unfold the quilt onto the batting. repeat for the other half.

once you have a quilt completely spray basted i like to do 1 of 2 things. either take the quilt & lay it on a flat surface for awhile. like a bed or something. or i like to roll it on a cardboard tube to store until i am ready to quilt it. i do not recommend quilting the quilt right away. in my opinion it needs a little dry time before the quilting begins.

that weekend that we spray basted in my driveway i think we did about 6 or 7 quilts. it goes pretty quick when you have 2 or 3 people doing it.

so get your quilting buddies together & start spray basting those quilts.

let me know if you have any questions about the process. i will do my best to answer them.

WIP Wednesday

2011-05-18T06:29:00.000-07:00

first some finishes from this past weekend of my mini quilt camp that i had at my house.

this was an i.o.u. quilt from this past Christmas for my dad. he is very happy to have it & he loves it. i was going to make it for a baby boy but since no one i know is having a boy my dad got it since he loves trucks & tractors as well.

i quilted & bound my 1st Hands 2 Help quilt.
this is a funny. Denise sewed right through the top of a flower pin. didn't even break the needle.
this is the back of my 2nd Hands 2 Help quilt.
this one i sewed the top together, quilted it & bound it all in this past weekend. i also quilted & bound this quilt that i showed in the Blogger's Quilt Festival over at Amy's Creative Side.

i also worked on my flying geese. whew they are done now.

i laid them all out in rows.

now i am working on sewing those rows together.

i also laid out my tumblers for a quilt top to be sewin together.

but, at the top of the list is this project.

my block for the quilt block challenge at Sister's.

"Would you not like to be sitting on top of the world with your legs hanging free"

Blogger's Quilt Festival

2011-05-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

last fall i put a quilt in the Blogger's Quilt Festival over at Amy's Creative Side. it was so much fun looking at all of the different quilts that people entered into the show. i was afraid that i missed it this year but i just jumped onto Amy's blog & see that i still have time to enter. the next question was - which quilt? i sewed a lot this past weekend and decided to show you all my oldest wip that i finished. so without further ado...... here it is.

sort of a wonky picture of it but its pouring down rain & i can't get out to get a better pic of it. i got the fabric 2 years ago (i think) in a great quilt shop in Florida. it was a fat quarter stack that the shop put together. i ended up finding some yardage somewhere along the way & i ended up with this quilt. i know that i had started out with a pattern but i messed it up in the middle of it & so i just renegaded it & ended up with this. i quilted it myself with all over swirls in a green thread and i am pleased with how it turned out. one of the most fun things about this quilt isn't the front of it.

its the back.

i used absolutely every scrap of fabric i had left over from the front to piece the back. i ended up having to add some brown kona just to get it big enough. the back is almost like a 2nd quilt. i love it.

so, there you have it. my spring 2011 Blogger's Quilt Festival entry. no long story behind it. it just took me awhile to get it finished. now that its finished i am wondering why i waited to long to finish it. wonders never cease.

Mini Camp

2011-05-14T11:03:00.000-07:00

we are having a great time at our mini quilt camp in the sewing cave.

here are a few pics.

spray basting quilts in the driveway.

hey, ya gotta do what works. right???

more later.