Good times!

I just returned from a week away, taking classes and meeting up with friends for the Buggy Barn's annual quilt show.  We didn't make it to the show this year, but we took some awesome classes, including 2 classes from Kim Diehl, which I've wanted to do forever!  I learned some new applique skills and can't want to try them out.

Here's a picture of Kim talking to us about one of our projects, the Idaho Lily.  (Sorry, Kim - I only took 2 pictures of you and neither was very flattering).

We also took a class with Stacy from Buttermilk Basin and learned some great wool applique tips and tricks.  I see a lot more of this in my future now that I have a clue about what I'm doing!

Shopping and eating were also involved, of course.

Now to get to school shopping and back into my routine.  Dang, why did it have to end?

PS:   I listed some FQ bundles for sale.  Please check my destash blog if interested.

All over the map

My sewing has been very unfocused of late!

I hit a wall with my Metro Hoops quilt, not just the fact that I seemed unable to get the corner squares to match (there's the perfectionist in me), but also that I didn't feel like the fabrics were me.  Too much pink!  It would seem obvious to anyone looking at the fabrics I chose before I started.  But I loved the Waterfront Park line and if you love a fabric, doesn't that mean you'd love the resulting quilt?  Apparently, not so for me.

I'm still determined to use the Quick Curve Ruler and actually produce a finished quilt top.  I've moved on to the Metro Twist pattern.  No corner setting squares to match (or not match, in my case).  This one seems more do-able to me.

I'm using Indelible by Katarina Roccella and love the colors, especially the dark grey background with a little bit of color.

I'm still trying to whittle down my stash to a more reasonable level.  This has meant making some hard choices about what stays and what goes.  I appreciate all of you that have helped me destash.  Beautiful fabric should not just sit in my closet when someone will actually use it.  I've added more items to the destash blog today.  Check it out!

I also joined an Instagram Strawberry Swap #thestrawberryswap   I haven't had good luck with swaps in the past, but when I saw the cute minis from the Schnitzel & Boo swap and then heard about this one with the strawberry theme, I couldn't resist.

I made this mini for my partner.  I used a combination of shrunken Strawberry Social blocks and the Berry Basket pattern found here.  I hope my partner likes the mini quilt and the other goodies I have gathered for her.

Awww Saturday....   I need to concentrate on getting my projects cut out for some classes that I'm taking with two of my best quilting buddies at the Buggy Barn the week after next.  Some fun ahead!!

Something Old, Something New

I made this quilt back in 2012.  I got the idea for it after reading I'm a Ginger Monkey's blog post here.  The tutorial I followed was from Jeni Baker's blog and is provided here.  This quilt was made from fat quarters of cotton velveteen by Anna Maria Horner and Amy Butler and I used a chocolate brown sketch print for the background.  This beautiful quilt top was languishing in my closet until last Friday, when I had another class at my long arm quilter's studio.

There was a whole lot that could have gone wrong with quilting this one, unbeknownst to a longarm newbie.  The velveteen is stretchy and the back is flannel, which was also stretchy.  Richla's machine Louise and I were in perfect sync, though.  I used a panto called Champagne and quilted a bubble pattern over the quilt.  I'm getting more comfortable and can't want for my next opportunity to quilt one of my own quilts on her machine.

I also had an old quilt rack that I had purchased a couple of years ago, and a big blank wall in my now-clean sewing room.  My DH, DD and I put up the shelf this morning (what a team!) and - voila!  Something fun to look at while I'm at the ironing board.

Something else I hope is not getting old with my blog readers - I have more stash to sell.  Please follow this link to my destash blog and see if there is anything you would like to have.

Have a great weekend, all!