Saturday was a Fun Day!

Lisa and Nicole and the boys joined me yesterday for the day.  Nicole and I sewed and Lisa worked on beading projects.

The boys, of course, destroyed the den/living room and then ran around through the hallway in circles. They play very well together at Nana's.

    

We all enjoyed really sweet strawberries especially Jackson.

Lisa finished my ankle bracelet ~

Jackson tested Mama's new cushion ~

Nicole and the first of three cushions and four pillows to do ~

I had the Lasagna that I forgot to take to Ann, Sue and her husband Jim, at Hood canal so I invited Mike and Jeff to join us for dinner. Everyone had seconds!

Trying to get Things Done

Right knee replacement is Monday, the 29th which I suppose is a good thing since my right knee is starting to hurt. Just trying to get things done enough at home that I won't go nuts. Work is another story. There is an endless and overwhelming supply of work to do - not as rewarding as anything around the house. Hoping to sew this weekend with Nicole though.

I look at all the Singer Featherweight Craigslist posts almost daily. I have got it bad.

To Longview/Kelso

This weekend I drove down and stayed with Susie in Longview. Susie is able to manage the shop full time since she retired from the City of Longview at the end of December. Tamara who also retired at that time was at the shop Saturday morning picking up a quilt to do on her long arm. Retirees just look sooo happy. Saturday was spent at the Paisley Duck sewing while Susie taught a class.

They were making 4 place mats and a table runner (double over in the picture.)

It was a fun group and Moe (also from the city) joined all of us at El Charrito for lunch and Huckleberry Margarita's. For dinner Susie and I were joined by my high school best friend Molly and my good friend Julie from the city. After dinner Susie and I went back to her place and watched two movies while we sewed until 1:30 am.

Sunday morning we sewed for awhile and I headed home at 1 pm. There was a lot of traffic and snow just past the Winlock exit of course. There was a spin out accident from someone driving to fast in the slush. There was snow again and three accidents just past the Rochester exit.

I finished the six blocks I had started during the week and did some piecing. I also got the centers of the last twelve dark blocks along with the 3/3/5/5 blocks sewn together and pinned.  Hopefully, this week I can sew the outside blocks on and the final sashing. Then I will have 16 white blocks to do along with 18 half white blocks.

Weekend at Hood Canal

I stayed up late on Thursday night making Lasagna - and then remembered it as I was driving through Belfair which is at Hood Canal. I called home and made Marc very happy when I told him.

Ann's first project was finishing up a casserole carrier which she then gave to me!

The Bottom

The Top

Filled with Sue's Seashell Casserole Dish that matched the fabric but she wouldn't let me have it.

Ann gave this one to Sue for Christmas.

Sue started (and just about finished except for the button) an over the shoulder purse which turned out very cute. Here it is before the straps when on and the lining went in.

Ann's next project

This is the view of Hood Canal we have to put up with while sewing - pretty tough!

I was again working on my Boxed In blocks

 I had gotten two blocks partially sewn during the week so I finished those plus I finished another four blocks and got six more started. It is almost time to start cutting up another jelly roll into 2 1/2 inch squares for more blocks. 12 dark and 4 light done with 6 dark partial blocks - need 18 more dark blocks, 16 light blocks, 18 light half blocks and 4 light quarter blocks.

My sewing machine which was starting to die during the last day of the block party - did die after I finished the first two blocks. Luckily Sue had her free Singer Featherweight which was in mint condition as was the carry case it came in. Ann said that Sue's case was better condition than the case that Ann got with her free Featherweight. I fell in love with this baby (or should that be old broad.). Ann said they can run around $500. Would someone please give me a free one? I did come home and looked on Craigslist and I found one in mint condition in Tacoma for $425 and one in Newcastle for $495 - and one from England circa 1965 for $465. I am in love!

6 More

I managed to get 6 more blocks done while I was in Sequim for the weekend. Of course, Val made me stay up until 3 A.M. watching Flashpoint in order to get them done.

I think that I need 30 dark blocks, 20 light blocks, 18 half blocks, and 4 quarter blocks. 4 light and 6 dark done.

You always pay!

When you take a couple of days off from work and there is no one to do your job. I am so tired this week trying to get caught up. Quiltmaker has finally posted pictures from the Block Party and there is one ghastly one of me - but it does illustrate a good point...

... if you really, really concentrate - you can win the centerpiece as a prize! We were given instructions to draw a nine patch block, put a heart in the center, put X's in the corner blocks, and do something else in the other blocks and then finally to draw a sashing around the whole block. My table decided that mine was the closest. So below is what I what the centerpiece looked like and what I won.

Thank you Red Rooster Fabrics and Gudrun Erla!

Day Three of Block Party

Today I had another class with Julie Herman - she had missed dinner last night because she wasn't feeling well and her voice was very hoarse. Today was Boxed In and she had us bring a number of choices for the two sashing materials to demonstrate how to pick a material that would make your blocks stand out. You had to take pictures of the various combinations because it can be easier to see the best choice that way. And yes, that is my finger in a number of pictures - new camera that I am still not used to.

Purple and Green

Red and Green

Brown and Purple

Brown and Green

White and Purple (hard to see in this one)

Purple and Red

Brown and Red

I told Julie it was hopeless but with her help I picked out White and Purple. My sewing machine decided not to cooperate and it would not feed the material through. I finally had to turn it off and back on and then it worked. It did this three more times so I only got a few blocks sewn together. I said good bye to Julie and the Quiltmaker ladies and left early so I could visit with Cheryl and Lyle. I did manage to get four blocks put together at their place.

Julie's pattern is a 51 1/2 by 51 1/2 square lap quilt with nine purple squares and four white square with partial white squares on the sides, top and bottom.  One person in the class had emailed her and asked for a larger, rectangular size so that is what I will probably make. Once you get going it goes pretty fast.

Day Two of the Block Party

Day two of the Block Party in Portland was a class with Gudrun Erla called Strip to be Square. Gudrun showed us a number of her gorgeous quilts during class.

The jelly roll I used was Kate Spain's Cuzco - quite a departure for me with bright orange and gold.
I managed to complete 4 blocks even though I was in so much pain from my right arm and shoulder I was almost in tears by 10:30 am and class went until 4:30.

I think I am going to really like this quilt - and it is really very easy - as long as you pay attention to what you are doing.

At dinner we received a package of really nice Ty Pennington fat quarters. I also won the table centerpiece material which was from Gudrun Erla's new fabric line for Red Rooster Fabrics which will be in stores in June. It was four 1/2 yard pieces - so two yards of material total. She gave us a preview of the line and I can't wait until it comes out.

Quiltmaker Block Party ~ Portland, Oregon

Thursday at Block Party I took a class from Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts called Hex n More. The first part of the class was learning to use her new ruler which cuts triangles, hexagons, half hexagons, and jewel shapes each in four sizes.

Here are all the class blocks - mine is on the upper left partially hanging off and upper right partially off the board.

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The last half of the class we chose one of five patterns and brought material to make that quilt. Since I forgot this part of the class until a couple days before I chose the new pattern which was released on the class day - we were the first to see it.

Here are the four block I got done - I chose fabric colors I don't normally use.

Lost and Found

Cutting boards found last night when I was putting groceries away - in pantry between cabinet and wall. Grocery list found in the middle of my desk at work this morning. What will I lose next?

Back Home

I got home from Sequim in good time and now can't find my grocery list - perhaps it is where I put my large cutting board. I got a lot accomplished yesterday - I finished the last four light green star pieces, sewed and trimmed the sixteen dark green star pieces, and then sewed the 32 light and dark red star pieces.

I also discovered late last night that I forgot all about the material for the ruler class. The first part is learning how to use the rulers, the second part is using the class kit to make something, and the final part was to pick out one of five patterns and bring material to make it. I am using up my stash again but do need to buy some contrasting fabric. So it is off to JoAnn's which is 1.7 miles from the house before I go to the grocery store.I probably have something in storage in Sequim but I had the other material at the house in Kent. It would be nice to have everything all together.

Getting Ready for the Block Party!

I am taking classes next week in Portland put on by Quiltmaker magazine. They have had one set of classes on the east coast in Wilmington, Delaware and then the second set of classes is in Portland, Oregon. The classes are taught by various quilt designers. The Block Party starts Wednesday, March 20th in the evening, but I won't be there until Thursday morning since I am driving down after work. I am taking two classes from Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts and one class from Gudrun Erla of GE Designs. Julie used to live in Philadelphia and last year moved with her parents to California to be closer to her brother and his family. Gudrun was born and raised in Iceland and moved in 2003 to Minnesota. As of Wednesday I got the last of the material cut for classes.

Below is the pattern and material for the Strip to Be Square class by Gudrun Erla.

My background with be a mottled blue and the squares are strips from Cuzco by Kate Spain for Moda Fabrics.









I am taking two classes from Julie Herman.
The first class has to do with using a new ruler she has designed to cut geometric designs of various shapes and sizes. We will get a class kit for that one.

The second class is from her book "Skip the Borders" and the quilt is called Boxed In.

 
I am using Moda fabric called Enchanted Garden by Sentimental Studios. We need two fabrics for the sashing but have to bring at least four fabrics and Julie will teach us how different contrasting fabrics change the entire appearance of the quilt.

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The down side of taking next Thursday and Friday off from work is that I will get drastically behind and my piles of paper will just get bigger ~

My Tough Assistant

I stopped by the store last night and picked up box cutters. When I got home I found out that Stan Lee had been sleeping on the Nu-foam all day long - a sure sign that it is super comfortable because Stan Lee goes for the ultimate in comfort.

Stan was eager to get started cutting out the two pieces for the cushions I am making for the bench at the end of my bed. I think he may be planning on it for a future napping area.

He had only a small bit of difficulty picking up the box cutter. He has no trouble picking up the Glad storage container for his treats in his teeth and using his teeth and paws to pry it open - should that fail he just tosses it to the floor and hopes it will break open. The box cutter was something new though.

Undaunted Stan Lee prevails - I don't know about his jaws but my right arm just aches from cutting the stuff last night - two 22.5 inch cuts and one 33 inch cut. The muscles right above my elbow are just killing me.

My Baby and Me

Nicole and I went shopping weekend before last for material to make seat cushions for her window seats and pillows for her couch.

She had her first sewing lesson last Sunday. The cushion material is on the left. The first of four cushions has been cut out. She got the piping sewn on the top of a cushion and the piping is pinned to the bottom and is ready to sew. She has made a good start!

I decided that I might as well start on the cushions I want to make for the bench at the end of my bed. I found the material when we were out shopping and then picked it up last week.

Now days they don't just use the regular old white or green foam ~ they use "Nu-foam" to make cushions ~ and it is a "densified" material. I think that "densified" translates to "foam that is harder than hell to cut" because that is what it is. After I finished cutting out my cushion material last night I decided that I would cut the "Nu-foam" for Nicole's cushion. I had watched the guy at Jo-Ann's struggle with the scissors and the other fabric cutters there said that scissors were the only thing that worked although 'a customer had suggested a box cutter.' Rotary Cutter - No; Utility Knife - No; Scissors - Sort Of; Box Cutter (skinny type from U-haul) did work the best. I was experimenting with the blade length and it broke - so now - no box cutter. After I started cutting, I swear the two inches of densified foam seemed more like four inches of steel.

My Sleeping Companions ~

Here is a picture of my sleeping companions - Puddy Tat, Stan Lee, Ice Pack, and Heat Pack(s).

Such an exciting life I lead....