How to start a fight with your sister

"MOM! He's touching me!"

Isn't that how it always starts?

And with quilting it starts with that special piece you finally found.  I'd been searching for a checkered fabric and found a bit at the J-store in Gainesville (GA) while visiting my son.

I thought it might look grand in Georgia's black and red.
Or maybe on some blue?

What about the set then? Straight set or on point?

Doesn't the Christmas fabric I found at the garage sale (the one I went to Friday and Saturday morning) look good with it?"

Or jettison the holiday print for a more seasonal red floral one? I like how the inside border frames the 12 patch center.

Then again I could go with something totally different like a floral with a white background...That's it. New UFO. I need a nap.

To make a Prairie, it takes
A Flower and one Bee,
One Flower and a Bee,
And Reverie.
The Reverie alone will do
If bees are few.

-Emily Dickenson

Students come back to the college this Monday. My new schedule for this 8 week semester has me working 6 days a week.  I know I can do it, but since I made the schedule, I wonder what the heck I was thinking. My bee some slow blogging for a while.

Mix Mash of Stuff

I go back to work tomorrow, so this is a tie-up post of odds and ends.

One more photo of the fabric I got at Fabric Recycles.  I love the store, and love the concept. Use your fabric or pass it along to someone who will. You can see I love the pinks and purples.

You may not know Kansas City is referred to as "The City of Fountains." This fountain is in front of the old Kansas City Star building on the east edge of the Quality Hill district.

These are Mom's good friends from childhood; they came over to sew with us one morning. Sue is peeking out from behind her "Easy Stars" quilt while Peggy (Mom's cousin) assists in holding it up. Notice I cropped myself out on the other side. I was in motion, and the resulting blur was not attractive on me. 

Once I got settled back here at home, Kitten took over the karate-belt padded reading spot I set up, so I went on to my sewing machine and set to quilting.

Roll it up and send it through.

Have you tried these new Clover Wonder Clips for holding the binding on? They are  super for hand stitching the binding, but they are magnificent for using with your machine, since one side is flat.

There we go. All done.

Denim on the back to stand up to the rigors of a Hawaiian beach.

Sweet! 

One last weekend of vacation

It was tough getting all my stuff into suitcases to come back home. Kitty is sitting on the Kaffe Fassett kit I bought at Under the Sea from Material Girls with birthday money mom gave me.

Note to self: Don't bring those big-ass platform shoes next time. They take up too much room in the suitcase!

Actually the kit is under the roll of pink I bought at Fabric Recycles. Fabric Recycles is like a treasure hunt for that fabric you need just a little of to finish a project (and then you come home with all manner of bits to start something new). The inventory is grouped by color and type, so finding things is easy, and the owner, Page Burns, is so incredibly knowledgeable of her stock and eager to help you get what you need. We'd read about her and her store in a free issue of Generation Q. The magazine is smaller than the magazines we are used to, but the content made the copy one Mom and I fought over (only because I couldn't find the copy they gave me). I cannot wait to see what the magazine does next. I really like printed better than online, so I can sit in my comfy chair. (I have not gone to using a "reader" or I-Pad yet.)

This is a tray of fabric Mom cut up while I was there to make Andy (middle son) a bow tie quilt. Last I spoke with her, she said making bow tie blocks is boring. I hope she sticks with it; he will love it. (I plan to upload pictures of her hooked rugs on her blog when I finish this post: Linda Brannock's hooked rug designs)

Ha! I got photos of the moon flower open.  Mom has been drying the open blooms and framing them. They are really pretty, but I don't think I got a photo of the framed one.

Joey is really glad I am home; he assumed the quilting cat position right away as I got busy making a baby gift for a young friend of one of Andy's. She married a fellow Collins Hill HS graduate and they are stationed in Hawaii. She announced (on Facebook) she was in labor on Friday night while I was in Kansas City, and then it was MONDAY before she posted anything else. Not being a close friend, so not on the phone tree, I was anxious to hear everything went well. Little Lucas is safely here, so his quilt is under the needle.

I put some denim I scored at the local GW store on the back to make is super durable for dragging around sandy beaches.

I think they'll like it.

And here is an unfinished item that I want to play around with.

The colors are fabulous, but it has some problems.

It's a holiday weekend; enjoy your family and get some sun!

Wandering Quilter in Kansas City

On the way to Mom and Dad's from the airport we stopped by Asiatica. We'd read about it on Barbara Brackman's blog. Mom and I were both overwhelmed by the rolls of vintage kimono fabric stored in their work rooms.  Asiatica designers make lovely new garments for high end consumers. Sorry I was too shy to ask if I could take photos. Watch the video on their website.  Really, it it worth your time.

Once we got to the house, I threw my new(ish) quilt over the bed.

Great Grandmother "Mom" Irvin pieced it and I just finished quilting it. I felt it important for Mother to see it in person. 

The next day (Thursday) we went to the MQS (machine quilter's) show in Overland Park, KS. We were able to purchase fabric, but I am sure no one would believe my mother buys Kaffe Fassett fabrics (among other large bright prints). I took quite a few photos, but sadly my SD card was full. For some reason I did not notice the problem until I got home and couldn't find the photos. Sheesh. What a lame thing to do.

I went jogging the following morning and found this little grey kitty at a garage sale. He is keeping me company in Joey's place. Now I have an Atlanta kitty (Joey) and a KC kitty (yet unnamed).

Then off we went to Quilt Market. Barbara Brackman's blog has lots of photos of the show, so hop over there for a peek. She covered it so well.

Mom saw lots of friends: Jan Patek (her design partner), Barb Adams and Alma Allen, Sandy Gervais, Rita Briner of Quilter's Station, Terry Thompson, the Buggy Barn girls Pam Soliday and Janet Nesbitt and Edie McGinnis. The market was HUGE, and we got properly worn out traipsing all over it.

One woman we were very happy to meet is Delores Storm. She designs under Lackadaises, and we love her use of vintage found treasures and wool. Check out her redwork designs too.

Back at the house I mentioned to Mom I'd like to make a string pieced star quilt like one I'd seen, so she brought out this:

I don't remember seeing it before.

She is looking for the pattern.

It is so soft with age.

And it has wonderful geranium leaf fabric on the back. (sigh)

I may want to make another rag quilt too, so she brings this out:

Dang. The back as lovely as the front:

Shoot. Big squares and little ones.

So I just keep plugging away at my quilts:

I finished the binding on Eron's (my paramedic son who is engaged to the lovely Meredith) quilt.

It came out very nice I think.

He wants it for his firehouse bunk, and he requested black, white and red (he said it is a fireman thing). I learned the stack method for the stars at a class with Peggy Barkle, so finishing it for Eron was a no-brainer. 

I am trying to get a good photo of an open Morning Glory (Mom just corrected me; this is a Moon Flower, and it blooms at night, so good luck getting a photo of it) in Mom and Dad's yard. 

This curled up one will have to do for now.

By the way, it is seven months after Mom's knee replacement surgery and Dad is still bringing her breakfast in bed. Every day!

(I got nothing else.)

Peace, Love & Decorating in Duluth

Yesterday, after I finished with an early Dr. appointment, I ate my lunch on the steps of the Duluth, GA municipal building.  As I was sitting in the sunshine admiring the expanse of park space, my eye caught sight of the building that formerly housed Share the Spirit quilt shop. Feeling nostalgic, since that shop set my feet back on a quilting path, I ventured over to see if the space was still vacant.

 To my great delight it was occupied by Peace, Love & Decorating. All the photos here are from their shop.  I was in a big hurry (needed to get to a hair appointment), so I just snapped a few pictures. The young ladies were so nice. They said they'd only been open a week, and would love for me to let folks know about them.

 I am going to date myself here by saying they have seriously groovy merchandise.  I am dying to get back there to purchase the yellow throw in the photo above. (There is an important person in my life who is crazy about yellow, and I am crazy about her.)

 I could just squeal with delight over these pillows!

 The messages are all about celebrating life.

 I hope to get back there soon. (This cat, who had been rolling around in the dirt in the yard, was NOT at the shop, but she knows eye want to go back to PLD as soon as possible). She is watching my every move.

Speaking of nostalgia, anyone going to see Dark Shadows?

Catch up post

I took a class with Peggy Barkle last year at the Alabama Symposium, and I learned a stacky wacky method for putting together stars,

I was not sure I'd like the technique, but it was a lot of fun, and easier than I thought it would be. Sometime after the class, my son, Eron mentioned he wanted a black, white and red quilt. That was a no brainer; I got the project out and finished putting it together.

I sent it out to a quilter in Missouri, and I got it back this week.  Since this was the first time I used a long-arm quilter, I have mixed emotions about it. I like it just fine.  In fact it is quite good, but it is not my work, and I had a lot of anxiety about it traveling back and forth.  I need to get over it.  It is good to have a finished quilting job, since I am forever procrastinating at the process of free-motion.  SO now I am choosing binding.  I had originally thought bright blue was a good idea. Yeah, really? Now I like the top selection in the photo; it seems to have a good balance of black and white, plus I like the geometric print.


Stuff I've been up to:

• I injured my right leg going over the dog fence trying to keep Joey from sprinting into the front yard.  I (calmly) freaked out a week after the injury when my foot started turning purple. The doctor says I tore the top of my Achilles tendon in my calf, but I will live.

• I spent a morning garage sale shopping.  I don't know why I bought these tiny little shoes, but there you go. I guess I am planning the next generation of women in my family to be shoe hoarders too. And none of my sons are even married at this point. At one of the sales a lovely young woman was trying to earn money to attend a study abroad program in France.  I decided I didn't need more stuff in my house more than she needed to study in France, so I donated the remainder of my fun money to the cause at hand.
• Thursday night we went to North Georgia College to see Eron's fiance' get her nursing pin.  It was a lovely, yet lengthy program during which Eron showed me how to download Freecell on my cell phone.  It was after the ceremony that I got a reality check on what it would be like to be a grandmother.  My hat is off to my friends who help out their working and sometimes single and going-it-alone daughters.  Taking care of grandchildren can be exhausting. 
• Last night we attended the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's Pop Concert of MoTown favorites with Spectrum.  That was fun; I have to say. I nearly cried when I walked into the concert hall. It had been years since I'd been to an orchestra performance.
• Before the concert we had dinner at Carrabba's. I had a birthday coupon for a free dessert. The waiter suggested the limoncello bread pudding. OMG! OMG! It was amazing.  When my husband signaled the waiter back to the table to ask "is there alcohol in this?" (sheesh, really? I think the man lives under a rock) I just smiled.  Next time I am having Limoncello minus the bread pudding.

The little shoes are going to Goodwill unless a friend with a little granddaughter would like them.  I am gonna have a good time while I still can. And next weekend? The Cumming Playhouse production of The Tapestry Maker.

Little Squares and New Computer

Joey was a big help setting up my new computer.

After several calls to the Geek Squad (yielding no help whatsoever), two calls to ATT (they were so very helpful) and one trip back to Best Buys for an explanation of how my Geek Squad program was supposed  to work and could I return that portion of my purchase, I am happy to report I can upload (and lose) photos, connect to the internet (all by myself) and create documents on Microsoft Office 2010 (which I uploaded on my own).  I will give the Geek Squad program one more try, since I still have questions about creating desktop shortcuts and anti-virus programs.  I also got up-to-date on my FreeCell skills, since I couldn't do much else on the computer for a week. The touch screen is pretty boss; I love having a keyboard with all the keys labeled, and being wireless for both keyboard and mouse is awesome.  I also no longer have speakers cluttering my desktop.  Best of all, NO dusty tower unit.  Pretty happy here.  

I also spent some time sorting out fabric from my over flowing scrap bin.  I found a stack of cut squares, so I started sewing them together.   A friend at work, whose mother died, had given me some of her mother's fabric stash, but I had not really noticed the little stack of squares before.  They really wanted to be something.

Joey and I were thinking table runner at first, but now we are thinking, since quilts are so much more useful, we will keep going to see what it will end up.  I want to feature the little squares (in honor of my friend's mother).

I sewed for hours yesterday, then we had to go to a party last night (Happy Retirement Sarah, I'm jealous).  With the delay, comes insecurity about my project.  What was I doing? Is this okay? Will I like it? Should it be a quilt or should I stop at table runner? Sheesh.  When you are grooving along it is so much easier to make decisions. I think that's why I have so many UFOs. I get interrupted and the mojo just moves away up the street somewhere. 
I think I'll go for a swim. My head will be more clear after.