Thanks for Your Help

I love
blogging friends.

I'm always learning something new

or being 

 reminded of  good "quilty" practices.

Here are two examples from last week

as I was binge sewing.

Thanks, Cheryl, who is at

So Many Quilts So Little Time 

for coining this expression.

The first reminder

came from Nancy at

Tattered Garden Quilting.

Nancy has been working on an applique

where the pattern labeled some pieces to be made blue.

Part way into it,  she decided
that she didn't want to use blue,
unsewed those pieces

and replaced them with something else.

That's a lot of work, but

it was good reminder to me.
A pattern isn't gospel.

This past week while I was binging,

I finally got out Di Ford's 

mystery quilt found in the Quiltmania Magazine.

These little diamond shapes have been bothering
me since I stitched them.

It was time to unsew and replace them.

They would have always bothered me.

Reminder: Change it if you don't like something.

Another reminder came from

Hilda at

Every Stitch

She's been working on a medallion quilt

and shared that she was working some

of her borders slightly out of order

so that the applique placement would be easier.

Suddenly a light blub went on

The applique placement is so tight and exact
on this mystery quilt

that I knew when I sewed the next border on

I would sew some of the applique into 

the seam allowances.

Hilda's work reminded me that

 by waiting to to add the applique pieces
until the next border was sewn on
I was setting the boundaries for the applique.

I'd like to announce:
"There have been no applique pieces
lost or injured
during the sewing of this border".

Reminder: Figure out the best way for you
 and just do it.

Thanks, blogging friends
for making my stitching better and better.

Until Next Time-

A Little "Sweetwater"

Earlier this week I had the 

opportunity to attend a fun 

presentation by one of the Moda dream team designers,

  Karla Eisenach of

 The Sweetwater Co.

Karla lives just 45 minutes from

Fort Collins, down the road and then head east

out into the prairie.  She and her two daughters

have the creative and challenging job

of designing 2-3 lines of fabric each year

along with patterns and other fun things that

so many of us enjoy making and using.

I met Karla a long time along when

she was starting her business under the 

name Farmyard Creations.

Look, I still have some of her first fabric line 

while she was designing for Clothworks.
 (maybe about 1990)

She's had an interesting journey from

making little things, designing scrapbook paper,
 to now working with

one of the most well known companies
 involved in the quilting industry.

 Sweetwater's colors are clear and modern.

She shared what's new  and what will

be coming our way in the near future.

Their newest line being shown to
shop owners now is Boat House.

Their patterns are super cute.

They love creating word fabric.

Here's Hometown.

They asked anyone who followed their blog 

to send in the name of their hometown so it could be 

included on the fabric.

I see my hometown.

  

 One of their newest projects

involves iron on labels,

it's the Sweetwater Label Crew club.

Lots of fun projects with

cute, cute labels.

Maybe the next time

you're fabric shopping

you'll take a closer look 

at the fun and exciting fabric lines

of

"Sweetwater".

Until Next Time-

Back to School

No, I'm not heading back to school.
Thank goodness, but
tomorrow the school bells will be ringing

to signal the first day of school here in Fort Collins.

I haven't had time to work 

on my projects and do any sewing this past week.

Instead I've been helping my daughter, Jessica 

get her fourth grade classroom set up.

She's switching grade levels
and has tons of things to do.

 

 She'll be working with the "big kids" now,
4th graders.

If you've ever been a classroom teacher,

or know somebody who is,

than you realize the time and effort and $

that most teachers put into their job.

 

The classroom environment 

sets the stage for motivation and learning

 and for good behavior.

Creating a warm, inviting
and well run room doesn't just happen.
It takes a lot of thought and planning to have

a colorful,

Interesting,

Functional,
and

 Engaging

start to the new school year.
I know of some lucky 4th graders
who are going to have a terrific year!

Until Next Time-

You Heard It Through the Grape Vine?

Did you hear it through these

grape vines

 

that I've been getting some sewing done?

I have.

These may not look like grapes,

 but they will be.

 Very tiny ones that are 3/8" wide.

According to the pattern

of Noah and Matilda,

they're suppose to be smaller, but that's

as small as I can handle.

 Mine might have come off of a gnarly vine.

But at least, they're done!

 There's more news

  along these grapevines.

The center is complete

 on my never ending quilt,

The Roseville  Album Quilt

designed by Kim McLean.

I've been playing around with borders

and I think I have the solution.

I just couldn't do anymore applique,

so I laid the top over another quilt of mine

 

and I think using 

this kind of pieced border and

a spacer will work.

Anyway,

I'm going to give it a try.

Keep your ears to the grapevine.

Until Next Time-

A Little R & R

 Last week we did some traveling

and headed to the mitten state.

It was time for some R & R,

sprinkled with family reunions,

a christening, and a wedding.

The "cousins" hadn't

 

been together for a very long time.

And since the last time,

look how many "second cousins"

have joined the family.

 (Owl not included)

Baby Oliver

had to have his own separate picture.

All of this commotion was just too much

for a 6 month old.

My daughter, Kate and husband, Bobby

even came and joined in from Florida.

You can read all about the road trip here

that my girls and their families had

coming all the way from Colorado.

Running Man and I had the sense

to fly.

We all came to celebrate

a wedding

and

a christening

(Oliver and his God parents)

Conked out again.

Throw in some good eats

from Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor,

a walk through the University of Michigan's

 

Botanical Gardens,

and add some

 watermelon,

you have the perfect combo

(photo by Jessica Wolfe)

 for a perfect vacation.

Until Next Time-