Raspberry Truffle

I'm so excited.  Finally got a UFO quilted!

This is Raspberry Truffle. It was a BOM offered by the Fat Quarter Shop a long time ago - possibly 2009 or 2010.  The pattern was designed by Vicki Bellino of Bloom Creek Quilts.  I don't see this pattern on her site, so it may have been created just for the FQS or it's retired.

This quilt was so much fun to make.  Yes, there is some applique on it, which I needle turned, but it went very quickly.

The quilt was designed to use charm packs.  Seriously!  Just a little bit of yardage here and there, but it was mostly charm packs!

Raspberry Truffle was beautifully quilted by Natalia Bonner of Piece N Quilt.  The fabric is by Judie Rothermel.

I just need to trim and square, and hopefully get the binding on this weekend.  Well, maybe at least get the machine part of the binding on.  I love to save the hand work for nights when I need to relax after work.

See?  I am getting things accomplished! 

Drawing Winner

I couldn't get the random number thing to load this morning, so Penny and I did it the old fashioned way - paper in a bowl.  She pulled a slip out, I chased her around the house to get it from her, and I could still read the winner's name despite the fact that it was half chewed!

BillieBee wins a $50 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop.  Congratulations!  I hope you'll let us all know what you choose with your gift certificate!!  Please email me to confirm your email address so I can order your certificate!

I had a really nice day so far.  I had a hair appointment first thing this morning in downtown Claremont.  That is such an adorable town!  Anyway, I overheard another lady in there talking about quilting to her hairdresser.  She came over after and we chatted a bit about quilting. But the best part, she used to work at the yarn shop that I first inquired about crochet lessons.  I told her I hadn't heard back from the teacher, so she recommended to go to another one just around the corner.  The shop is Phoebe's in the Packing House.  I was there when she opened the door.  I asked about scheduling private crochet lessons and she said, "How about right now?"  Gulp.  I actually panicked for just a moment, but put my game face on and just did it!

Oh, my, the gorgeous yarn in that shop!  Of course, I'm starting out with "beginner's yarn"!  She told me to cast on and do a chain stitch.  I got that mostly right.  We pulled it out and started over.  Then we went over the single crochet and double crochet.  About halfway through she moved me up one size in hook and my stitches were much better, not so tight.  This is definitely a practice piece, but I'm going to go ahead and finish it into a scarf.  I was worn out after 3.5 hours, so we'll get together again soon to go over the triple and decreasing stitch.  What a fun day this was!

I went ahead and picked up two more colors since it was so inexpensive.  That will give me plenty of practice yarn.

Happy birthday to me!!  I was dreading my birthday on Thursday!  I had two MRIs that day, and was feeling a bit blue.  But a couple of very dear friends took me out for a scrumptious dinner that night and all was well in my little world!  Yep, 62 ain't half bad!!  So far!!!

Heading into my sewing room for the rest of the weekend.  Well, I need to stretch out a bit first.  I was fairly relaxed sitting in the yarn shop, but my back was a little kinked because I sat there for so long.

Thank you to everyone who left a comment for the drawing.  We'll have to do this again soon!

I'm Glad THAT's Over!

What a long, stressful week!  I'm glad they only happen a few times out of the 52 each year!

This weekend is going to be spent resting and recuperating -  and doing only fun things!  The only things on the agenda are getting the QuiltMobile washed and my weekly trip to the market. 

Penny has been wanting to snuggle this morning.  I think she misses me being home every day.  We bonded during those four months I was off.  I don't think she understands the equation that work equals Puppy Chow.  Silly dog!

There's going to be a give-away next week.  If you'd like to win a $50 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop, just leave a comment.  You just need to tell us what you expect to be doing on Thursday!  How easy is that!  I hope a lot of you will be expecting to spend time in your studio doing quilty things!  I was going to do the drawing on Thursday, 8/22, when I got home from work, but I have dinner plans.  So I'll do the drawing on Saturday, 8/24, in the late morning.

I received the most unique gift from a very dear friend.

It's a Boye Needle Company store display dispenser.  What a treasure!  The customer would put the dial on the type of needle they wanted and it would turn the inside contraption to that section.  When they'd open the little door, there they were!  I'm going to hang this on the wall in my someday quilting studio.  I have several antique sewing pieces and this will fit in wonderfully!  Thank you so much, my dear friend!  I love it - and you knew I would!

This week I ordered a pattern that I'll probably never make, but it sure does make me happy to look at it.  It's Audubon's Christmas by Kathy McNeil.  My very favorite things are birds and botanicals.  This covers both nicely!  And who knows?  I just might do it!

Another thing I looked into this week is crochet lessons.  I know, I know, I don't need another hobby!  I tried to learn when I was young but I just didn't get it.  I think it had to do with the person teaching me having an opposite dominant hand than I did.  Anyway, I'm supposed to hear back this week about a few private lessons.  This ought to prove interesting.  I was inspired by a lady who was crocheting away in the outpatient waiting room at the hospital this week.  We talked and I found out she's only been crocheting a year and is self-taught.  So I went to Joanne's and bought some cheap yarn and a hook.  I've been having more fun making knots out of this yarn - and laughing out loud at my stitches.  Want to see them?  Just put your coffee cup down before you look!  Otherwise, you'll spew your computer screen! 

The blob on the top was my first attempt.  For some reason (rolls eyes here) it started turning to a little tube that about fits my thumb.  A thumb warmer?  Hey, that could be a new trend!  I knew that wasn't right, so I cut it off and started again.  I decided to get creative on the second attempt.  Lots of knots that sort of accidentally made a design, but it's awful.  I think the best thing is to wait until I can get a lesson before I attempt to murder any more cheap yarn! 

Okay, you can start drinking your coffee again!

Gosh, this is a long post.  Sorry. I need to do this more often so I don't turn a week's worth of adventures into an Edna Ferber novel!

On the health front, a new doctor is in cahoots with my neurosurgeon, and nothing new to report except a lot more testing.  Hey, maybe I'll run into someone else in one of those waiting rooms who knows how to crochet!!

I'm heading over to tackle Brrrrr Park.  Focus!

Don't forget to leave a comment for the drawing!

Falling Down on the Job

A friend emailed me yesterday and wondered if I was still breathing.  Huh?  In further emails, she said she was sure something had happened to me because I haven't been poking any buttons!  LOL.

Well, I've poked a few but not nearly in the quantity that I have in the past.  No special reason except that I've been too worn out and hurting when I get home to think much about fabric.  Oh, gosh, I hope the Fat Quarter Shop hasn't noticed!!!  I'd hate for them to take my name off that plaque in the lobby that must be there!!!!!!

So it was definitely time to open a couple of boxes that arrived over the past few weeks and share them!  I surely don't want to lose my title of Chief Purchasing Officer!  (rolls eyes)

No one could have doubted I'd be poking this button:

Midwinter Reds by Minick & Simpson.  And look at the wovens!  I really think M&S has cornered the market on fabulous wovens.  I love working with them, especially in applique, but I've been known to toss a few into the mix on a lot of other quilts.  Wovens are a bit stretchy, but I've had no problem with them because I always surround the pieces with regular fabric.  Oh, bindings.  I love wovens for bindings!  I am so wanting to do that Nightingale pattern on the left.  It's 90 x 90.  My heart fluttered when I saw it!  The other pattern is Nantucket, another beauty!

The next box contained Josephine by French General. 

I went ahead and threw a Jelly Roll into my cart, too.  I need to look at the French General stash to see if there's yardage there that will work with this.  Since most of the French General fabrics coordinate, I'm sure I'll find tons up there (the stash room) to work nicely.

Next is All Aboard.  I love this quilt.  Just thought I'd stash it away just in case.  I've never been real big on kiddy quilts, but there seems to be a need for them among friends and family now.  The best part is it's an It's Sew Emma pattern.  Gotta love those ISE patterns!

I guess I need to correct something -- that I'm not real big on kiddy quilts.  I love kiddy quilts.  I'm just not a fan of novelty fabrics.  So I love it when I find a pattern that can be made up from "normal fabrics"!!  LOL.

And last but not least ....

Spooktacular  - by Maude Asbury for Blend.  On the couple of Halloween or fall quilts I've made, I had trouble finding a background that worked for me.  So once or twice when I've seen something neat, I've grabbed it.  I really like this fabric, and I know I'm going to wish I had gotten more of it.  It's polka dots, my favorite!  Finding this fabric was a good reminder to myself to check more often the "Odds and Ends" category at Fat Quarter Shop!

So that's it!  Not much but at least I'm still thinking a bit about quilting.

I had three full days of tests run this week to see if they could find out why my white cell count is so high.  The only thing worst than sitting in a chair hurting at work is laying on a hard table for a two-hour nuclear scan.  And being called back to the hospital two times yesterday when I thought I had made a clean get-away.  The last time I left, I turned off my cell phone and ran out the door!

I've been reading blogs and drooling over all the projects going on out there.  I'm real ready to retire so I can get in on some of the group sew-alongs.  Real ready! (sigh)

Inspiration

I've been feeling really puny this week.  My body is not cooperating with all the things I want to be doing these days.

Long Beach quilt show -- I was supposed to go today, but I'm just not up to being jostled by a lot of people intent on doing what quilters do best at quilt shows.  I hate that because this is the last year of this show.  Maybe tomorrow if I feel better, but I really don't think that's going to happen.

This show has a lot of special meaning for me.  I met Julie of Jaybird Quilts a few years ago.  I met Brenda Riddle there, Sandy Klop, and, of course, Primitive Gatherings.  I met up with a good friend, Lady B, and spent a good while chatting with her, and spent hours upon hours scouring the vendor booths with another friend.  Lots of memories.

So I was feeling really sorry for myself this morning, and thought I needed to dive into some organizational project to keep me busy.  First up, magazines.

The first one I picked up to toss was the December 2008 issue of "American Patchwork & Quilting."  As I released it over the garbage can, the cover caught my eye.  I dug it out immediately and sat down to peruse the magazine.

It's NOT going in the trash.  These three quilts are tugging my heartstrings.

First is "Capture the Canyon" by Julie Hendricksen.  She recreated an antique quilt for us.

 

Next is "Haute Chocolates" by Homestead Hearth.  Warm chocolates and blues, always a favorite of mine.

The cover that caught my eye is "Fly Away Home" by Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Quilts.  I'm sure this is the reason I bought the magazine in 2008.

You know the best part of this?  I've gotten the inspiration I usually get at quilt shows.  I'm not being jostled.  And I have everything to make these already in my stash.

I'd say it's a win/win situation!

Of course, now I probably need to sit down and look at ALL of the magazines before I toss them!

(sigh)