Gone…

Have you ever looked for something only to find it’s gone?

I have opened, moved, and unpacked every bin and box in my sewing room and I cannot find what I’m looking for.

The other night I started out looking for some samples I had made from the Bits and Pieces Book a few years ago.  I know I got these back from Southampton Quilts late last winter and was going to send them back to display again.  After I had gone through and looked everywhere the first time I realized that I also did not see the fabric I had bought for the back of my grandsons quilt. ?????  The quilt I need to be working on soon.  I can visualize both of these items in my sewing room.

Sunday I started at one end of my sewing room and opened everything, looked through every bin, box, and drawer.  I looked in the attic storage space, I looked in the storage cubby, I looked in the basement, and went through every other place that had a door, drawer, or cover to it.

I found nothing…

As I’ve pondered this over the past few days I realize I’ve also not seen a tote bag of quilting samples and some other finished pieces… I haven’t a clue where I could have stashed them.

I’m having a really hard time wrapping my head around this… I guess I should make a list of the things I haven’t seen so that I know what I’m looking for.  Phooey!

The worst part is now I have to go find new fabric for the back of my grandsons quilt… uuuugggghhh!

Shop Hop Weekend… in 500 Pictures

nah… just kidding about the 500 pictures!

I’ll put a slide show below of the pictures I took at Southampton Quilts during the weekend and the pictures my Quilty Friend Judy took of the Shop Hop Quilt at all the shops for me.  I had designed the quilt this year for the Hop so I was quite excited to see the design done up in so many different fabrics!

This was the 9th year of the Hop… I was one of the original 200 or so that participated the first year.  So it is exciting that this year there were more than 1,200 that signed up for the 3 day event with the 8 shops.

I was so happy to be able to go up and work the event.  Yes we were busy!  But it was a fun busy. 

I especially enjoyed seeing old friends!  Quilters are the Best kind of people!

 

Shop Hop 2010

Morning!

This is what it looked like a little before 7:00 AM here today.  No this is not what I woke up to… it was still very dark when I got up (and stayed up) today at 4:20 AM.  Since being sick I haven’t stayed up after making coffee, setting up breakfast, and packing a lunch for The Engineer so he can head out the door by 5:30.  I’ve gone back to bed and gotten up closer to 6:30… when the dog decides she’s waited long enough to eat and makes me get up.

I was upstairs sewing when the person on the local radio mentioned that it was a pretty sunrise and everyone should go look.  So I did… and I’m sharing it with you.

Oh yeah and this…  I’m heading up next week to MA to work at Southampton Quilts during the Massachusetts Shop Hop.  They have a 50’s theme this year… so I was thinking about making a circle skirt to wear.  I found some cute 50’s housewife-ish floral fabric – figured I could cut it up and use it in a quilt when I was done.  But before using the good stuff – I wanted to try a sample out.  Pulled out another floral I had – made up the skirt – put elastic in the waist – put a turned under hem on it. 

Really cute skirt… except that when you put a circle skirt on someone who’s short and a little ‘roundish’… well…

Think clown cars, trapeze swings, and fishnet clad ladies riding galloping horses in circles… all I need is some rope and wooden stakes to anchor it down.

I’m thinking a trip to Christopher & Banks is in my future… I still have a gift certificate!

Switching Things Up

For those of you who follow along via a ‘Reader’ of some sort – you won’t notice that I changed the layout and background a bit.  I’ve chosen a different Blogger layout and since it is Fall I’ve selected a fall background.  Not sure how long those leaves will last – my plan is to throw some quilt pictures into the background but I will have to take new pictures to make that happen properly.

I’ve also added a ‘Pages’ listing over on the side bar.  I have my University Class Projects List there… that is where I’ll track the projects I’m working on and their completion.  I’ll still yak about it in a blog post – but that will serve as a ‘one stop shopping’ place (for Miss Professor Beth) to track my progress.  There is also a link back to the most current Blog page… wouldn’t want you to get lost.

I did vacuum top to bottom yesterday… not that it much matters because the dog tracks dirt in all day long.

I cooked up the last batch of tomatoes yesterday and made tomato soup out of some of it for dinner and froze 2 quarts of sauce.  The leftover soup we’ll have tomorrow for dinner – tonight I’m making smoked sausage and cabbage.  The leftovers of that will end up in a soup… mmmm that is really good and all you need to do is add some chicken both.

I love it that it’s soup weather again… mmmm, mmmm, mm!

And just a little moment up on my soapbox…

Wouldn’t it be nice if the candidates who make false claims about themselves and their competition had to then make a commercial and state what they said that was wrong and apologize to the public.  When I was a kid I learned a valuable lesson when I lied to a friends mom when I told her that my mom said I could come over to their house after school.  After I got home - My mom made me call that friends mother and tell her I had lied to her and that I was sorry.  I never did that again.

Why doesn’t the ‘truth in advertising’ apply to political advertisement? 

I’d really like this candidate to run a write-in campaign…

Noneof Theabove

I think they would win.

I’m stepping down now…

October?? Already?

It seems like it was just yesterday I was listening to the annoying AC units wishing I could just throw open the windows and let fresh air in.  Now those units are off and what windows might be open are open only a tiny bit as it’s rather chilly out there.

We had quite a bit of rain last week and topped off with 7 inches one day.  The ground was already rather moist so it didn’t take too long for the ground water to push up in three places in our basement.  I wish I had taken a picture or video – there was a river flowing (really – making trickling noises and all) from where it was coming in - right into a floor drain in two spots and into the sump pump in the third. 

We have always (for the past 30 years anyway) put things up on pallets of some sort… a lesson we learned long ago when water came in a basement of a house we were renting.  We only had to clean that mess up once to know we didn’t want to do it again.  We also firmly believe in sump pumps… they only have to run once in their life times to make them worth the money and effort.

On Saturday The Engineer discovered the well pit had about 4 feet of water in it.  Good thing he had shut off the electrical supply to that earlier in the week when he was doing some wiring work.  Took several hours with a portable sump pump to clear it out – but no damage done to the equipment down there.  The well water is only used for the outside spigots.

On the quilting front - I did have a finish last week.  This is Star Whimsy from the Star Savvy - Laps From Fats book by Good Intentions.

The first picture is of several blocks before final assembly.  I pulled all my fabrics from the same line – but a couple of the lighter fabrics are a bit too light from a distance and especially with a flash.

The colors are very washed out in this picture… seems the lights here are too bright.

This is my first finish towards a PHD at Southampton Quilts -  Quilt University.

I am currently working on a BOM for a shop sample so this should qualify under my ‘Work Study – Coop Program’.  I’ll have some pictures and details later on it.  Blues and Browns… uuummm pretty!

Oh and a cute fusible applique wall quilt… more details to follow on that.

Now I need to go clean my house… it so needs to be done.  I also need to either cook or throw away those tomatoes… somebody please make them stop! 

I think the next nice day I’ll go out and pull the plants up out of the ground – that will do it!

A Finish… or Two…

Finally… this Aunt Grace Circle of Friends sample is finished (pieced not quilted) and ready to hang at the shop.  It took much longer than I’d have liked for it to… but it’s done and that’s all that matters.

I didn’t put ‘Grace’ in the corner blocks (sorry but I don’t like her)… and I didn’t put 5 leaves on the flower stems… it just seemed to be too busy.  I’ll look at it while it’s hanging and decide if I want to add another one or two but for now - this is done!

Back in mid-March I mentioned that I was designing a quilt for a shop hop.  I sent a preliminary pattern out earlier in the summer so that the shop owners could get their quilts made up.  My good friend Dawn Marie (from up in Maine) used that set of directions and made up a test sample to check out the details for me – Thank You Dawn Marie!! 

In the mean time I purchased a better software program that allows me to more easily edit and place pictures and text where I want.  The pattern had to be divided into 8 pages – one page will be handed out at each shop… visit all 8 shops to get the complete pattern.  Each shop will make the quilt up in what ever fabric line they choose – I can’t wait to see how different they all will look.  After some redrawing and reworking of this that and the other… I sent the completed pattern off last week.  Man it sure felt good to have that done! 

I’ll be going up and helping to work the Massachusetts Shop Hop up at Southampton Quilts (the shop I use to work at)… so if you are in Western MA October 15, 16, 17 - you may want to hop along.  I can’t wait to see everyone!

The One That Got Away…

A little more than a year ago I ran across this quilt whilst out poking around antique places.

I wish I’d had the money for it because I keep thinking about it…

It occurred to me when I ran across the picture again today that I could add this to my University list…

Not a whole quilt… maybe just some blocks to test out the pattern.  Or maybe make it into a bed runner?  Maybe if I put it on the list – I can stop thinking about it.

I did buy the Curve Master Foot at the Lancaster Show last spring… so I can’t use the curves as an excuse for not making it.  Hhhhmmmm?

It seems to be an Antique Extravaganza Weekend around here if one were to believe all the signs posted.  So The Engineer and I will poke around some places on Saturday and then Sunday we are going to treat ourselves to a Crab Cake lunch at a seafood place we like down in MD.  We haven’t been down there in over two years… although we’ve talked about it often. 

It should be a nice couple days for getting out and about to enjoy the beginning of fall. 

Who knows… maybe I’ll find that quilt again and I won’t have to make it!

Cutter Quilt Window

A few weeks ago when my youngest girl was here we found a local farm craft stand and I came home with this.

They had several - all put together in colors… red blocks, blue blocks, etc.

An interesting way to make use of old quilts that really have seen better days and discarded window sashings.

They had very loosely glued craft paper to the back which allowed me to take a peek… very interesting!  Let’s take a closer look at a couple of them.

The blocks are cut to fit on the frames on the back – too bad most of the blocks would fit better in square windows but we don’t have square windows do we?

This one is especially interesting – because this heart is cut from an old quilt and is stitched onto the back of an old quilt – which was only apparent to me once I looked at the back of this. 

You can see the faded colors of the original prints in the Dresden fan pieces.  You can see that the ‘heart’ was stitched onto the other side completely through the layers – which is what made me realize it was added on.  You’ve got to wonder who Velta Wood was…

This one makes me wonder – was this a mistake in assembly?  Or was there some other design element going on in the quilt that isn’t apparently in just one block?

I also love the embroidery block… tattered binding and all.

On other subjects…

I am finally feeling human again… actually enjoyed a cup of coffee today.  Those antibiotics make me feel nauseous… and coffee just wasn’t happening for me.  I even had to ask The Engineer to clean the coffee pot the past couple days… yeah that bad.  Good news was that he was working late all week and I didn’t have to cook.  I just went out and got whatever my mind said would taste good. 

Now that I’m feeling better it’s time to get back in gear.  Let the cleaning begin…

Addendum: University Submission

At the risk of having my fellow students think I was trying to win favor with the Professor and earn my place as Teachers Pet by submitting a very sparse Course List for the First Semester at Quilt University… which by the way would have been a really good idea had I thought of it – I have an Addendum.

My list was sparse only because I’ve been sick and was too lazy to trudge all the way up to the third floor where all the evidence is my sewing studio is and the list I had started.  So I confess… I just decided to wing it.

Now I don’t want anyone thinking I don’t have stuff to ‘finish’… I do.  Most of it’s still packed though and since most of my stuff ends up as samples in a quilt shop – I usually move on to other things once the top is assembled – little ever gets done beyond that.

The last quilt that I completely finished was this one from Focus on Florals by That Patchwork Place… I worked on it while I was getting the MA house ready to sell and blogged about it – 3 years ago this month!  (And I’ll say I just wasted an hour reading through my life back then… aahhh bittersweet.) 

I finished it – sent it off to a long arm quilter in the area and it hung in the quilt shop for a long time – whilst I pack, sold my house, moved, packed and moved again, and then packed and moved again.  I did get it back – actually picked it up this year… wait a minute – it isn’t completely finished – it still needs it’s binding.  I’ve purchased binding twice because I didn’t really like what I selected the first time and bought different stuff when I picked it up… ADD THAT QUILT TO MY LIST!  (I will have to go hunt for the binding – but it’s up there).

Well this post has gone astray – I was going to demonstrate how long it’s been since I actually finished things by showing you the last thing I finished.  But even the things I’ve finished haven’t really been finished.  Hmmm and in thinking about that and bindings – I do have a confession.  I have several quilts that have bindings sewn on – and glue basted to the back – which in theory makes it easier to sew as it’s all in place and no pins or clips are involved.  Certainly makes them look finished but the glue basting doesn’t hold up well in the washer.  Ask me how I know this… there is a certain Circus Quilt involved.

OK - the Addendum.

I guess I’ll start with the bindings since I’m thinking about those right now…

MD – Focus on Florals – needs binding made and applied(picture above)

MD – Circus Quilt – trim threads from washing, glue baste the binding (again) and sew (somehow I don’t seem to have proof of this quilt? I’ll get a picture later)

MD – Homeward Bound from 30 (40?) Quick Cut Quilts by That Patchwork Place  – glue basted binding needs to be sewn.  Picture taken before quilting…

Trust me when I say there are many, many more that need finished bindings… when I find them I’ll add them to my list.

Here are some more of the things I believe I have on the list (upstairs) but forgot to submit…

PHD – Peas in a Pod out of a Kim Diehl book (brain not currently working and there’s that ‘stair thing’ so I’ll add details later), pieced blocks are done – only the appliqué to finish.  Only… Ha, ha, ha… so why did I stop?

PHD – Serendipity out of the same Kim Diehl book details to follow.  I have all the backgrounds pieced and am in the process of the machine appliqué.  This picture doesn’t show the pieced sashing but it is pieced as well. 

OK that is the Addendum… at least it’s the 1st Addendum.

As much as I hate that the antibiotic I’m taking now makes me feel bleah for a few hours and I can’t do much more than sit on this couch… I have been able to type this.  But I do need to get my self in gear… whether I feel up to it or not.

University Submission…

I have made my selections for this term at Quilt College at the University of Southampton.

I’ll be working simultaneously on both my PHD (Projects Half Done) and my MD (Mostly Done).

(MD) Swimmies Pattern by Lisa Boyer:  First up is the project that really does have a time line… it was due nearly 2 years ago when my grandson was born.  Now I don’t want to lead anyone astray… this top was finished long before my grandson was even conceived.  My daughter loved it and asked if I’d finish it for him.  Needless to say it’s still not quilted and needs to be finished and mailed before his 2nd birthday… he’s a turkey.  So I think I have enough time… if not it will be a Christmas gift!

Everything else is in no particular order…

(PHD) This is a kit I purchased at the Quilt Odyssey Show at Hershey this year.  Civil War Flying Geese by Calico Corner in Carlisle PA.  I don’t usually buy kits myself… but I could have walked away with every one of their Civil War line.  Pretty stuff!  Anyway – the geese won’t take long… and then I’ll have pomegranates to appliqué in the evenings.  At least that’s the plan… LOL  It’s also a wall hanging – so should be do-able.

(PHD) This is another find from the Hershey Show… Star Whimsy out of the Star Savvy Laps From Fats.  The quilt at the show in the booth was lovely… and they had sold out of all the books and kits.  I selected a Moda fabric line… but can’t remember off hand what it is… so I’ll have to tell ya later.  but the stars are looking lovely!  Everything for the stars are cut and bagged, and I’ve completed several stars.

(PHD) This is a Bonnie Hunter (Quiltville) Mystery Quilt free pattern I started more than a year ago… I pinned that third row of pieces onto the block a long time ago – and there they sit.  So if nothing else I need to sew those seams so that I can get the pins out before they rust…

(PHD) I don’t have a picture yet of Heart Crazy by Buggy Barn Quilts.  This is my second Buggy Barn quilt… I hope I love it as much as my last.

That’s all I can think of right now - that I have pictures of… but I believe we can pick up extra classes projects as the term progresses.  I’ll keep you posted on my progress!