Sunday, July 31, 2016

Vivacious Curves

My friend Lori sent me this picture of a table runner she made.  She recently taught a class in her neck of the woods on how to do curves with no rules using a book she loves (which she said is) called "Vivacious Curves".
So, wanting to share a link to the book with you, I searched "Vivacious Curves" on amazon.com and found other stuff .... that had nothing to do with quilting....
I refined my search to "Vivacious Curves quilting book" and found a book called "Vivacious Curvy Quilts" by Dianne S. Hire.  I am not sure if this is the book Lori used for her class or not, but here is the link in case you're interested!
https://www.amazon.com/Vivacious-Curvy-Quilts-Dianne-Hire/dp/1574326740

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Dear Old Jane

Well yesterday I wrote that I am an organized person and how it makes me feel peaceful and then I went upstairs to my sewing room and saw this....

Ha!  Maybe I'm not so organized after all!  However what looks unorganized to some, may actually be organized to others, right??

Organized chaos - isn't that what it's called?


Dear Old Jane is finally quilted.... After six weeks of almost daily quilting here she is!  Actually this picture is after the center and triangles were all quilted.

Then it was off to Hi Fashion where Lorraine helped me pick out some lovely fabric for the bias binding.



I then stitched around the scallops, quilted half feathers in the scallops, and then marked a sewing line an eighth of an inch away from the stitching line.
I had seen a video awhile back on stitching the bias binding on scalloped edges before trimming so I wanted to try that and it was definitely easier, because I had something to hang onto, but it was still REALLY hard and took me 2 1/2 hours to stitch around 56 scallops.  It was probably the hardest part of the quilt so far.  I say so far because I haven't hand sewn those scallops yet!  Ah!  That may take me another six weeks... but I hope now because I'm hoping to show this quilt in a trunk show next week!
I worked really hard, with my trusty tweezers, to make sure the binding isn't on too tight so the edges don't curl under, but I'm still a little worried...

This is where I am now, ready to trim and hand sew the binding on.  The sleeve is ready to sew on too and of course I need to think of a label.  Whew!
Back to the sewing room!

Have a great weekend :)


Friday, July 29, 2016

Are You Organized?

First of all, let me share a couple more birthday gifts.  My daughter made this fabulous book full of pictures and travel details from our Ireland trip together in June.  She spent hours and hours on it and I LOVE it!  You know how you think you're going to remember things and then you don't?  Well, now it's all written down, complete with photos, so we'll never forget this wonderful trip.  What a treasure!

My friend Kim (who by the way has been my dear friend for 50 years!) sent me this really, really nice quilt book!  I had never seen this one before and it's full of blocks patterns for inspiration.  I can hardly wait to design a quilt using the many, many ideas in this book!
For weeks The Quilt Show website on their Daily Blog has been giving us tips on how to organize our sewing spaces.  Being part of a Lego loving family I just had to share this one.  How clever is this?  Who knew those little Lego guys could hold our cords for us?  I need one on my nightstand.  I may have to go raid the Lego buckets up in the attic....
Speaking of organized.  I consider myself an organized person.  I don't think I'm obsessive about it, but others might think I am.  For years that seems to be the one thing people find to say about me, "She's so organized!"  My oldest son, when he was in first grade made me a bookmark for Mother's Day and it said (in his first grade writing):
M - Marvelous
O - Organized
M - Makes good food
What six year old even has the word organized in his vocabulary? (At least he thought I made good food...)
I was listening to a lecture on creativity by Ricky Tims last night and he said, "Are you organized?  We hate you!  We respect you, but we hate you!"
Why are organized people hated??  I'm just curious.  I like being organized, it makes me feel peaceful.  To each his own though, you have to do what works for you!

Now, mothers of little ones have to be a little bit organized, right?  Time to baby proof the house, as Little Miss Into Everything is on the move!

I love her so much :)

Have a great day!!

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Machine Quilting Marathon


Here are the last of my photos from the HMQS in Salt Lake.  Enjoy!

Best Day Ever
pieced and quilted by Corinna J. Weir



I love the combination of swirls and bubbles!



Sunflowers
pieced and quilted by Suzanne Hyland




Tropical Rays
pieced and quilted by Suzanne Hyland



Flapunto
pieced and quilted by Suzanne Hyland





Judy and Babbs Great Adventure
pieced and quilted by Gina Perkes





Morning Stars
pieced by Maho Schwartz
quilted by Carol Armstrong




I have been quilting Jane for about six weeks. Any chance I get to go into my sewing room that's what I've been working on.  I should have kept track of how many hours I've quilted on it, but I didn't.... Anyway, hopefully, tomorrow or Saturday I will finish the quilting and be ready to sew on the binding - after 8 long years of working on this quilt I can finally see the the finished product in sight!

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Are You Experiencing Quiltmares?



Are you experiencing Quiltmares because of your unfinished projects?  Check out this funny YouTube video created by Jill Finley's kids!!

Monday, July 25, 2016

HMQS Continued!


My Town
pieced and quilted by Ruth Ewers




Lunch is Served
pieced and quilted by Debi French





Modern Squares
pieced and quilted by Cassie Shelton
This won a 2nd place award in the Youth Computerized category!




Hit the Mark
pieced and quilted by Dani Paradis

Won 1st Place in the Youth Computerized category!



Daisy
pieced and quilted by Nancy Haacke




Butterfly Quilt
pieced by Jana Hudspeth
quilted by Corinna J. Weir


Sunday, July 24, 2016

It's Peach Season!!


Tulips in the Thistle
pieced and quilted by Shantelle Cox




Kaffe Pinwheels
pieced and quilted by Charlene Nelson

3rd Place Utah's Own Award





Winter Wonderland
pieced and quilted by Marla Hooper




Spring Blooms
pieced and quilted by Shantelle Cox



POW!
by Corinne Phillips

From the Urban Graffiti exhibit


Urban Graffiti #1
by Janet Lane-Tranbarger


Peach Cobbler baked in my new Polish Pottery!
Gotta love peach season in Grand Junction!

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Quilting and Camping?


Parrot's Island
pieced and quilted by Claudia Pfeil

(Part of a special Teacher's Exhibit at HMQS, Salt Lake, May 2016)


She was able to produce the effect of Molas with thread art on her APQS Longarm machine.








@Play
whole cloth, quilted by Teri Lucas



Jungle Abstractions: The Lion
pieced and quilted by Violet Craft



Under the Radar
pieced and quilted by Corinne Sovey





My husband asked if I'd go camping with him if he bought me a tent that looks like a quilt (below).  Hmmm.... probably not.  I think I left camping behind in my younger days :)
How about this watermelon tent?  I would worry it would attract bears!
If you like these tents though, check them out at:
http://www.fieldcandy.com/us/



Friday, July 22, 2016

Polish Pottery

I have been drooling over polish pottery for several years, ever since eating dinner over at a friend's house and she had it, used it for the dinner and told me all about it.  I couldn't justify getting any at the time because our dishes were fine and we didn't really need any.  However several years have gone by and our dishes are chipping and cracking (no, I'm not breaking them on purpose :), so when my hubby asked me what I wanted for my birthday I suggested beginning our own collection of polish pottery and lucky for me he got as excited about it as I am!


So here is what he got me for my birthday - six plates and an oval baker.  It's SO pretty!  Each piece is unique and beautiful and according to another friend who has her own collection, it's very durable - dishwasher and oven safe.  I am sure that all of our meals will taste so much better when served on these plates.  I am so excited to begin using them and adding to our collection bit by bit.


A friend gave me this beautiful Sue Spargo 2017 wall calendar!  Talk about drooling - the pictures of Sue's art in the calendar are definitely drool worthy and very inspiring. I just may have to hang it up before 2017 so I can enjoy it now!





Another friend gave this pretty Willow Tree statue called Bloom.  I love the sentiment attached:
"Like our friendship - vibrant and ever constant"

I'm so thankful for dear friends and a wonderful family!!  I love them all :)