NOLA reunion

Faced with leaving his sick wife at home or staying home and missing his reunion in New Orleans my DH did the politically correct thing - he took me with him.
I wish I had been stronger so I could have gotten around the city more but there is a lot to be said for room service. (remember the children's book character Eloise whose favorite phrases were "room service" followed by "charge it please!) Well that was me for the past few days....

I did take one carriage ride and got in a lot of photos in a very short time...Combine the success of their football team and the upcoming Madi Gra and New Orleans was getting dressed to party! I think visiting the city before the parades is a good idea - everything is fresh and still intact...after the parade and the city looks like a sorority girl sneaking in the back door early on Saturday morning. Just a bit tired, worn and hung over.
Even though there were a few beads in unexpected places...

must have been the post game parties last weekend.
I know NOLA is famous for its blue-dogs...but I found some dogs equally as interesting...

where else but New Orleans would they put a hat like this on a Pit Bull...she was a sweetheart though!

And this black and white pup sure liked to sing...another sweet dog...

As usual the food was great. The city sure has come back a long way since Katrina. I found an Artist Co-op down near the French market, Dutch Alley at 912 N. Peters street, that I would strongly recommend visiting if you are in NOLA. Really a nice assortment of arts and crafts including a wide range of jewelry, great textiles, and wood turnings. The artists also work in the store and seemed to love talking about their works.

I just couldn't resist including this photo from the market...love the colors....maybe I need to do a NOLA quilt.....

Too much retreat...

Retreat was wonderful...lots of fun, food, fabric, friends, and general fooling around. What I didn't get was enough rest and I am so paying for it. Yup, the cold did a rebound that has laid me out flat for the past week. (don't tell my DH but yes, it was worth it!)

Just a few of the photos...

We have been called the guild that "forces" you to applique. We really don't strong arm anyone but when you see all the great applique quilts these folks make it just drives even the staunchest piecer to search out a straw needle and some freezer paper.... the photo above is a group project for a member's 60th birthday showing her garden and cats!


Can you believe two of our members each made one of these Piece of Cake quilts last year...they kept each other on track each month...right now they are working on the border (when not posing for photos....)The other was done in red...


This was out guild's 12th year holding this retreat and we had over 50 quilters attend! It is a good news bad new sort of thing...great to have all these quilters but now we may have to do a bit more planning. It was only sheer dumb luck no-one tripped over a cord or send a machine flying! We will do better next year....

A new quilter with her first sampler quilt...she finished two during the retreat!
We had some Kaffe Fasset fans there...Maggie has almost finished her top.

and it was nice to see I did not bring the most "stuff...." (good we have honest quilters though there is some great fabric in these totes!) Now it is back to guzzling some Theraflu and climbing back into bed...so glad my DH gave me lots of DVD's for Christmas...I just watched a couple of episodes of Firefly, Wild Wild West, and Cadfael....

To pack or not to pack...

This weekend is my guild's annual retreat up at a state park about 45 minutes from where I live. The way I am packing my bags you would think I was going to the other end of the Earth (assuming of course I am not traveling on an airline that charges for baggage...)

This is only one of the three "mounds" I have constructed with stuff I "need" for the three nights and four days. (You would of course think that my sewing room is stripped but alas, not the case and that is the topic for a future post titled "how did I end up with so many duplicate quilting tools....")

So I have spent several days debating what projects to bring...I mean there is a lot of sewing time in four days and three nights! I am working on a witch's hat with my friend Paula and we kitted that all up back in November - bag one. Then I have by old Baltimore Album blocks with the border fabric - bag two. My sister Jane's "Elvis meets Morris" quilt - box three. Then I may just want to quilt so now - box four. And what if....so that mound has 7 bags/boxes. Check....

Then there is the general stuff - ironing board, cutting mat, electric teapot, box of threads, sewing machine, and sewing supplies with lots of different needles. Do I bring a back-up sewing machine? Maybe not this time....Check....

On to the kitchen...banana bread is in the oven. I have packed lots of coffee, tea, sugar, creamer crackers, peanut butter, three bottles of wine and two boxes of chocolate. The ingredients for the apricot biscotti are on the counter waiting for the b-bread to get out of the way. A large batch of spaghetti sauce is on the stove so DH doesn't starve while I am gone. Check....

So why do I feel like I am forgetting something? Duhhh, clothes! My car is almost filled and I don't even have one change of clothes packed!

So not you...

Have you ever had another quilter look at what you are working on and make the comment "that is just so not you." Wow, that could just mean so many things?If she thinks I am a good quilter does this mean this particular piece is not well done? On the other hand maybe she has hated all the quilts I've done and finds herself in the awkward position of liking my work this time? On the other hand (woops three hands?!) maybe I have already wasted enough brain-cells wondering about that comment and should just stitch-on!

Do you have a piece of fabric in your stash that "isn't you?" I have a really wide range of fabrics on my shelves. There are a lot that I love but rarely use (like my Kaffe fasset) and some that were for specific project that didn't happen (my robot fabric collection) but few that just aren't me...except maybe this Elvis fabric that I don't remember why I bought (though I am sure it was a really good buy and a really good reason!)
Today is a good fold fabric day...I am worried about my Mom who fell and broke her hip and is having surgery today. I was going to fly up to Boston to see her in the hospital but woke up this morning with a 103 degree fever and an ever-worsening cold/flu. I don't think they would even let me in the hospital parking lot - unless of course I pass out which doesn't seem that remote a possibility at the moment.... Also, in a moment of fevered lunacy I decided to square-up my Baltimore Album blocks - somebody please come and take the rotary cutter away from me until the fever breaks - one block is now 15x16....duhhhhhhhhh.

So I have been pulling scraps to make my sister Jane quilt. Can you believe she sent me photos of quilts she liked and they were all really basic scrappy quilts. Big sigh of relief here! So I am making piles of squares and rectangles and just randomly sewing them together...Elvis will make and appearance in this quilt as will some robots, William Morris, and civil war. This will be a fabric melting pot (sounds so much nicer than garbage bag quilt!) And it will be so me...

It is cold outside!

It is so cold the birds are eating an entire feeder worth of seed each day! Tonight we are supposed to get freezing rain so I put out a suet and seed block...it is like tapping a keg at a frat party! Birds have surrounded it!

I really have been trying to organize my sewing room the past few days. Not making a whole lot of progress but the floor has been sighted and the good news is under all that fabric, magazines, and baskets - the rug is clean!

(string quilt from Alabama with fun Pop-eye fabric)

Last week I got a call from my LQS asking if I would look at some quilts for a customer. Her father-in-law passed away and they were going to have an estate sale. The family was unsure if the quilts were "good."

Now there weren't any "museum" quilts but were nice sort of shabby chic and very typical of what we see in this area. There were several that I thought the family should hold onto. (I have nightmares after days like this that my husband will bag up all my quilts and put them out in a yard sale...) It was a fun afternoon. My DH even came with me to help...he was impressed that I was able to name the piecing designs (though he is really fast using Brackman's Encyclopedia!) After seeing me go through 50 quilts he decided I should get my appraisal certificate and "hang out a shingle."
Amazingly enough one of my favorites was this bowtie quilt made entirely from Polyester! That is right...the thick 1970's poly that never ever loses its color and is more likely to melt than disintegrate! It may sound crazy but nothing photographs like poly. The bowtie quilt is so well made...and as Tonya reminded me my "Noah's Ark" collection of quilts does not have a polyester one yet....

Organized...me?

My last few posts may have given many of you the impression that I am an organized quilter...for that I apologize. Take today as an example....

Yesterday I got a call from a member of my quilt guild with a question about this months meeting. Whoops, this is the first Monday of the month so out business meeting it is tonight. No problem - it only takes a few minutes to write out and agenda (do not mistake that for organization....)

While writing out the agenda I wondered what the program for this evening was...after a bit of digging through the guild tote bag I found the program list. Surprise - I am demonstrating fabric folders and binders. oh dear. You see I made a bunch of these last spring and I vaguely remember volunteering to demonstrate how I made them but since then I have given all of them away. Duhhhhhh!

So instead of working on organizing my sewing room as planned (or even on a quilt on that very organized list I posted) I am making a couple of binders for tonight...yikes! The pattern I use is from Terry Atkinson's blog at terryatkinson.typepad.com and is called an Airplane Art Binder. They are fun to make and make great quilt buddy gifts...
So I put some bean soup on the stove (it is soooo cold outside) and I am off to work on the binders. Organization will just have to wait another day....

Quilts 2010

I do love lists....not that I always stick to them...I just like making them. So after writing out the shopping list for my Dh this morning (which he left on the kitchen counter when he went to work!) I decided to work on my Quilt list for 2010. These are the quilts I hope to finish this year. Insert Disclaimer Here - this is a non-binding list so if I see a great pattern, have a great idea or just get bored with this list I feel no obligation to stick to it. (Maybe that is why I have never actually finished all the quilts on my annual list?!)

So why make a list at all you wonder? Well, it does help focus a bit. Today while doing my semi-annual "find the floor in the quilting room" dig-out I will put these projects (at least the ones I've started!) into a separate cabinet so I can find them when the time comes to work on them. Isn't it frustrating when you find a few hours to sew but can't find the project you want to work on?! Also the list serves a reminder of what projects I already have time and money invested in so maybe I don't need to start a new (insert project name here.) Not that it always stops me from doing it but does make me think twice....so here goes:

1. Cowgirl Sampler Quilt - 15 blocks are finished (and have been for 2 years!) 2. Bakery Quilt - this is a Tonya word quilt. I have about 9 words (some I made and some sent by blogging friends.) I want to make about 9 more then figure out how to put them all together...
3. Carolina Christmas - lots of parts in a large box..about the same status as my Carolina Crossroads was at this time last year and I did finish that so there is hope....4. Small Baltimore - Twelve year old Scotch is great. Twelve year old blocks? Not so good. So why this year? There are twelve blocks from my year long Baltimore Applique Class...kismet no?5. Wave Runner - feels almost like cheating to put this on the list since there are only a couple seams left to finish the top....(for reference it is on a really large dining room table...)
6. Vintage Teddington - this one is ready to be basted and hand quilted. This will be my quilt bee and TV room project for the year.
7. My Sister Jane Quilt - no this is not a version of a Dear Jane - I do really have a sister named Jane who asked for a quilt this Christmas. When asked what kind of quilt she answered "I like the ones that look like antiques, maybe some pinks, browns and maroons but make it sort of like bright ones you made the kids." Oh ya, I can run with that...arhhggggg! Status on this one - no fabric, no plan, no clue.....8. Brother Mike Quilt - I made a very long quilt top for my very tall brother. It just needs to be quilted...ya, just!
9. Halloween - This is a "black-work" embroidery. This one is on the fence for this year since it has so much hand work but it is all "kitted" up for me for when I have a minute to work on so may be ready for this year...at least as a top!

In between all of these will be a couple of quilts of valor that are currently in various stages and helping with the guild Donation quilt. More than enough to keep me busy!

Resolutions

I've been reading a lot about the pros and cons of making New Year's resolutions. One article suggested making resolutions for each month thus spreading out introducing new habits and allowing you to focus. I sort of liked that one but I think I am more of a traditionalist - for that read I like big, long lists.

I will not bore you with the nitty-gritty (and trust me after many years of doing project planning my lists can get really, really detailed - I miss Gantt charts.) I digress....so here are some of my quilting resolutions...

1. Quilt Appraisal Accreditation from AQS - Now I know this cannot be done in a year. That is sort of what has held me back. With the MS it is hard to commit to taking a test a year of April! But my MS is really under control (enough that I really want to go back to work!) So I have downloaded the application, signed up for a couple more courses at Paducah this April, and reorganized my library so my quilt history, textile, and reference books are easier to access.

2. Focus on a select group of quilts to finish this year...watch for new "to do" list on my sidebar. I don't think I will be quite as energetic finishing this year but If I complete 6 full size quilts I'll consider it a good year.

3. I have a long list of "some-day" quilt-tourism events that I would like to go to...I am going to Paducah for the first time this year. I would like to do one other on the list...so hard to choose! So for now it is just one more...

4. Each year my guild makes a quilt for Camp Rainbow, a camp for critically ill children. I'm choosing to be more involved in being a "quilt mom" and getting the 2011 quilt finished. You will be seeing lots of this future quilt in the coming months - we start work on it Monday! On the other

5. Work on my machine quilting. The only way to get better with this is to practice, practice, practice. (I think this goes in the February column....)

My other resolutions include things like lose 10 pounds, eat right, clean the garage....heck they could just be cut an paste from last year! (I did however do pretty good on the quilting ones though....)

(photo list: top is Scituate Lighthouse (one of my favorite places to photograph!), second is a pineapple applique from North Augusta, SC, and finally a circa 1940 Dresden Plate from Maryland.