I'm at the point of needing a new sewing machine soon...my Viking is doing a slow death. I can't complain since I've used it so much I wore the feed-dog out! Something my repair guy had never seen happen before!
The three day workshop gave me a chance to work with several different models...Day one was piecing and machine applique with Nancy Mahoney. She is a very good instructor.
She has a nice book on paper-piecing coming out. One of the samples is on the wall over my right shoulder! I've come to like workshops where the kit is supplied. It makes the instruction easier (everyone pick up the dark pink...) and it is much faster since I don't spend workshop time debating fabric choices. It allows me to focus on the technique. In general I am not a kit person so this is a big "turn-around" for me!
Also loved that I had a finished top by the end of the day. Not a lot of workshops that happens in! I'm going to quilt it up and give it to the little girl next door who is in her "pink" phase!
I'll post days 2 and 3 in my next blog posts.
I am trying to keep my garden under control this spring...the primrose has taken over a large part of the flower garden. Adding them to the list of the plants for lazy gardeners!
Health wise it has been a tough spring...MS is cyclical for me. I'm hoping to be on the up side right now but have to take it easy.
This Saturday I was lucky enough to visit Augustus Jenkins Farmer's family farm and gardens in South Carolina.
He is the author of "Deep-Rooted Wisdom: Skills and Stories from Generations of Gardeners. At the farm he is promoting the resurgence of the crinum lilly.
His approach to gardening is very organic but in a southern way. Lots of natural materials to make the support structures, bee hives, found "yard art."
It was a wonderful place to photograph.
a blue and silver bottle tree...
He, his Mom and the folks working there were so helpful.
One of my biggest surprises was finding out I really loved lemon and fig shaved ice. Of course it was 95 degrees plus by 9:00 in the morning so I think almost any shaved ice would have been wonderful!
This has been a crazy week so today I am trying to take it easy...I have one quilt soaking in the tub (couldn't wait for better quilt washing weather...this one needed a bath now!) And while wait through the 20 minute cycle of changing really dirty water I continue to work on bindings for the quilts for the VA...just one more to go!!!
Did learn something wonderful though...the bright quilt that is being washed right now also has some denim in it! (the dark blue cornerstones...) So it fits well with the other quilts I bought from the estate last week!
like, fry egg on the sidewalk hot. And no, this is not a "dry" heat...humidity 35%...that means the lens of my camera fogs up almost immediately! And it doesn't look like we'll be getting a break anytime soon!
So I will be in my room quilting.
I would like to be washing these two new-to-me denim and chambry quilts that I got at the estate sale. I washed one basket quilt last weekend and it after 12 hours outside...it was still wet! It's that darn humidity! grrr. The denim quilts would never dry out there!
I did put them outside face down to get some sun and a breeze. Really helps get some of the old-quilt-smell out. Not sure how these were stored and they were a bit musty.
These quilts came from the same estate sale, have some of the same fabrics (sort of has a look of the Cherrywood fabrics), similar quilting style and stitches, and have pieced backs of similar fabric. Both have good workmanship. Very good chance they were made by the same person.
I bought the churndash on Saturday. Then on Monday I got a call from the folks running the estate sale. There were a few more quilts and they were going to send them off to a charity. I could make an offer on any of them if I was interested. Yes, it was 101 degrees out...but I went anyways. I had not seen the one-patch at the sale earlier (they had used it as a backdrop for some furniture.)
Since I had the churndash I had to bring home the one patch! Each is a nice quilt but together they really are striking. They are in need of a bath though...hoping for a break in the heat soon!
