Summer projects....

Watson, our new puppy, is still keeping us really busy.

 He is so much healthier now which is wonderful however brings a whole new set of challenge...as in he is really, really active!  Yikes...he is everywhere ....

Which means little time for quilting.

 I have started hand-quilting my Charleston Baskets.  I am using the red #12 Aurifil with a large eye #8 sharp.  Love how it is coming along.  I am doing a big stitch and this thread just glides through the layers.  So much easier on the hand than using perle cotton!  (white thread in the photo is from basting...tried having my long arm quilter baste it on her machine...so far I like that too!) Even so my hand tires quickly so this will be an all summer project!

Tomorrow is my wedding anniversary...15 years!

My Dh brought home roses...he's a keeper!

Happy Mother's Day...

My Mom 2005 in New Hampshire

Going to spend the day working in the quilting room and maybe planting a few more tomato plants (replacing some eaten by some small animal last week...think I need taller planters!)

I've been trying to work on this quilt for my husband...yes that is golfing toile!  I'm trying to use fabrics with colors that show up around the courses here in April...yes, the Masters.  So there is lots of pink, yellows, green, browns, and a bit or gold/yellow.  I really like the blocks...hate the golf fabric!  This will be a small quilt!

I picked up this crocheted basket doily the other day at the antique mall...really like it but am at odds what to do with it!  Pillow?  Wall hanging?  Gift it and make it someone else's project?  hummm

In need of borders...

My guild has a UFO finish game going on where you are supposed to finish a quilt (or at least move it along the process) each month.  Yikes.  I did find a couple of projects that only need a border or just need binding.  I think I'm going to kit them up today so I can move on them quickly when the spirit moves me!

time for the garden

Because of the summer heat there is a short window of time for me to actually work in the garden each year and now is that time!

Even with the slightly cooler temps (under 90 degrees) I have to limit the time for each work-session.  Nothing gets done quickly!  On top of that there are the garden hazards - namely red ants, poison ivy, snakes, hornets, and random frogs and turtles (that just surprise the heck out of ya!)  Since it is supposed to rain today I'm staying inside and hoping the bits, scratches and random itchy spots all heal!

Maybe I'll ever get some sewing done!

The blocks are starting to come in for out guild's next donation quilts (raises money for Camp Rainbow, a medical camp for children with cancer.)

I picked up a small quilt top on ebay...it is a good fabric study piece!

and how can you not love those big polka dots on the border!

I also got some blocks...seem to have a circular theme going through my collection right now!

These I will make into something...have several ideas floating right now!

Above is an ebay "not so hot" purchase.  Believe me it photographs much better than it looks in person.  I will use it however to inspire a new quilt so I'm not totally unhappy!

Little Watson is growing quickly!  He is looking much more like a terrier now (He was a rescue so not entirely sure what he will turn out to me!)  His hair is filling in so no more bald spots.  He and the cats have come to an understanding (even Dobby!)  This just may all work...

May Guild Meeting

With the new puppy in the house I haven't done much quilting the past two weeks but today did get away to my guild's May meeting.

Always lots of good show and tell...

And this month our program was a bit different.  We played Quilter's Bingo!  I got the idea from a Fons and Porter magazine about 5 years ago!  I had clipped out the pages and put them in my guild file..not quite forgotten but not urgent.  However it was "on-hand" when the group started to look for a quick program this month!

Basically each person makes their own bingo card only it used color and fabric style instead of letters and numbers.

My friend Tari and I called the cards...for the four games (each having one grand prize and at least one second prize.  Our last game had two grand prizes!  Anyway, lots of prizes and lots of fun!  At the end of the game the players tuned in their "cards" and the cards will be sewn together to make quilts for the local Ronald McDonald House!  We have enough to make at least 4 quilts!

Since I didn't get to play (I was calling numbers) one of the guild members shared this find from a yard sale with me...

my quilting rack was broken during our last move and I hadn't gotten around to replacing it!  The hoop without the stand just wasn't working well for me...now I have no excuse!

new addition to the pack....

We had a spring surprise last week that has thrown a wrench into my quilting plans...

a local animal rescue group called "Stinky Kiss" was given a terrier puppy and we were lucky enough to adopt him!  So meet my new quilting buddy - Watson!

He is only 14-16 weeks so we are dealing with lots of chewing and house-training.  So far he and the cats have come to an agreement.  Brownie spends lot of time with him...he behaves her better than me!

We almost have him on a schedule so I hope to be stitching again soon...

American fabric update...

About a week ago I posted about some new fabric being made entirely in the USA.

(a few more vintage thimbles from the action last weekend...my friend stayed for the entire auction and bid on these for me!)

Well my order arrived this week and yesterday I ran some through the wash.  Here is what I thing (my opinion only....)

1.  The colors are really nice.  Slightly softer than Kona.  No bleeding nor fading after a washing in warm water with regular detergent.

2. The weight is a bit lighter than I expected but is ok...somewhere between Kaffe Fasset double shots (lightly woven) and Kona solids (dense weave.)  It did :thicken a bit during the wash.  It would work well for paper-piecing or applique (but not the base/bottom piece of applique.)  I do not think I would use it for a back nor a binding.

3.  There is shrinkage...a lot!  Almost an inch for the width and length of a yard piece.  This isn't a problem but is nice to know when you figure out how much you need.  Also that is more than most current fabrics so if you mix it unwashed with others it may cause more puckering/wrinkling after the quilt is washed than you expected.  (since I wash every piece of fabric coming into the house this isn't a problem.)

Today I'm going to iron these and do a test run in a paperpiece block.  let you know how that goes!

Got a great book in the mail...

So want to get up to Boston for the exhibit!  If you love lots of photos of quilts this is a book for you...I only have one little tiny "issue" and that is the color choice for some of the print...made it difficult to read a few pages.  That is such a small thing when you see all the wonderful quilts though!  Everyone is sure to find some inspiration on these pages!(heck they had me at the cover!  just hit me...the new American fabric line has all the colors in this quilt!)

Auction finds!

I did get to go to the auction Saturday and I'm glad I made the effort!

This woman had more thimbles, boxes, thimble boxes even, and other sewing items than I've ever seen in one place!  (It made my husband very nervous.  "You are only getting one thimble, right?" he asked.  Silly man!)

There were however many folks there for the sewing items and several aggressive dealers bidding so I didn't come home with too much.  Happy (?) to say I stayed within budget even with the cake dish I couldn't resist!  (crystal is going for such little money how could I not bid!)

The auctions here are not nearly as organized as the ones I went to in England.  The auctioneer was sort of making lots as he went along just keeping them within the cosigner grouping.  This works well for the dealers but for those of us who just collect it means we go home with some things we don't plan on.  Some, like the German needle barrel, are a happy accident...others not so much!  I mean do I really need two walnut shaped thimble cases?  hummm...obviously the woman who collected this stuff would disagree since she seemed to have at least of half-dozen of everything!

All in good fun.  It did wear me out though.  Glad we had home-made New England Fish Chowder and banana bread left over from the day before so I didn't have to make dinner!

I did however pull out an UFO to try and get a quilt out to the folks in Washington who lost so much n the mudslide last week....have the back ready just need to get it quilted, bound and shipped.  First however, I need to get Goldie out from underneath it! (can yo spot the "quilt" tail!)

Rainy day in Georgia-lina

South Carolina Peach Blossoms...

It is spring here but it is cold and wet!  I want to go to an country auction tomorrow but it is cold and wet!  Last time I went when it was like this we "mud-skated" across the field...I felt bad for folks trying to carry large pieces of furniture to their trucks!

There are a few quilts I'm interested in but mainly I want to check out all the sewing items.  She had a huge collection of thimbles - the real type.  Nice silver ones at the show last week were running $100 and up.  I have two antique thimbles that I bought at auction for half that and they work great for me...and they would be easy to carry across the mud field!

Class handpiecing block...in progress but so far loving the points!

I tried to explain to my dear husband that a thimble is to a quilter as a putter is a golfer...he has ten putters in our garage.   And since I am back to doing some hand-piecing I'll get more use out of the thimble than he will those putters...

And here is a glimpse at some of the new additions to the "stash."  The large Blue Hill orange backing is for my Halloween applique quilt!  Just need to sew on the borders and it will be a finish!  Having the back ready is a real incentive....

Can you believe..more fabric!

After two days of rest from the quilt show trip I am "almost" human again.  Amazing how a little trip like that can wear you out!

Plus I had lots of new "stuff" to get into the house.  I did a lot of damage at this quilt store - The Cherry Pit - in Tennessee.  Really a nice shop with fabrics they just don't carry in shops near me.  More on those goodies in a future post...

One exciting piece of news - cotton solids are being produced locally again!

 I drive by fields of cotton and shut down mills on a regular basis and am always saddened that we are forced to buy fabric from overseas when the raw materials are so close.  Well we now can buy cotton grown in the south then processed, woven and dyed in South Carolina!  I just ordered a few yards to check them out...have my fingers crossed that I will love them!  Now if I can just convince a local quilt shop to carry them...

Pigeon Forge Show

Had a great time up at Pigeon Forge at their annual quilt show.  It was my first time at this show.

Three of us with Cindy Blackberg...

Five quilters from my sewing group went up and stayed in some condos less than a mile from the show.  I was even able to spend some time Bonnie Hunter on her off time (she taught 7 classes in 5 days!  That women is a true super quilter!)

Paula and Bonnie with the Bonnie "cruise quilt!"

As usual I did a lot of damage in the vendor area.  I found a old/new favorite -Lakadaisies (www.lakadaisies.com)  I spent a good part of last night digging through the vintage materials looking for the perfect (or not so perfect!) tablecloth, feed-sacks, and laces so I can start my Christmas quilt!

As usual I stocked up on items that are difficult to find in our area - reproduction fabrics and hand quilting/sewing supplies mainly.

Cindy's railroad crossing quilt

I took the Railroad Crossing hand piecing class with Cindy Blackberg.  Learned I had developed some bad habits with my hand piecing...with I had taken the class before I made the Russian sunflower quilt!  Maybe I would only have twice as many blocks as needed instead of three times!  (maybe that is shy I loved this appliqued sunflower quilt!)

There was more hand quilting at this show than I had seen in a long time.  The quilts themselves were a real mix of truely amazing to just plain fun!

This one of a Middle Eastern street scene was one of the incredible ones...

the maker said she focused on improving how she depicted hands...

I'd say she did well!  (can you tell I loved this quilt!)

The Quilt Appraiser Ribbon (no, I didn't work this show) was given to a quilt made using Bonnie Hunter's Log Cabin Pineapple Pattern.

More on the show later...I still have lots of unpacking and laundry to do!