Monday, August 29, 2016

My Blog Anniversary and a Give-Away!

 I am jumping for joy.


It's my blog anniversary time!
I've been blogging since 2009.

I feel like such a winner
that so many of you follow along
and leave your positive comments.

So I'd like to celebrate
with a  give-away!!
Nothing could be finer.


Just leave a comment,
or just say "Hi",
but make sure I can email you.

I'll draw two names next
Tuesday, September 6th.

Until Next Time-
  Kyle



Monday, August 22, 2016

Log Cabin Loonies

It's that time
when August's green corn moon is full
and all Log Cabin Loonies


report in to Julie K Quilts.

My report is that I've finished my
Strawberries and Chocolate log cabin.
 30" x 30"

You might remember that I pieced it 
from my
scrap basket collection of 
1 1/4" strips.


 I love running my hand over the surface
and feeling the texture created 


from perel cotton and a big stitch.

I'm going to be presenting a labeling
and documenting demo 
at one of my quilt groups next month so
I wanted to try a different technique and product
for my label.
I used the June Taylor Sew-In 
Colorfast Fabric Sheets for
the Ink Jet Printer. 

It was easy to design a label on the computer,
easy to print,


but, to be honest, I don't care for
the feel of the fabric after it's been set.
It has a plastic rubbery feel
and it was very difficult to needle
through when I added the perel cotton
stitching around the edge.

But I do have to add that the
photo transferring quality is excellent
and so much improved since this technique
was first introduced years ago.

Does anyone have a suggestion of a 
different product that
has a better feel?
I'd love to know.

Thanks, Julie
Your log cabin loony
sew along
has been crazy fun!


Until Next Time-
Kyle

Monday, August 15, 2016

A Balanced Diet

 We all the know the importance
of eating a healthy and
a well balanced diet.
It's a way of maintaining good health
and making you feel your best.


Of course, the opposite is true.
Eating too little or too much 
of a certain food group
is unhealthy and can 
lead to all kinds of problems.

Lately, my quilting diet has
been all hand stitching.
It's one of my favorite things to do,
but most of my current projects
are either hand appliqued,
embroidered,
 English Paper Pieced,
or wool appliques.

The good thing is that 
I've finally gotten all of the parts
to my hexagon quilt finished. YAY!
 

But more hand stitching lays ahead.


It's all the small diamond shapes that 
are needed to connect the blocks together.
They're all prepped and ready to go, but 
I'm feeling the affects of an unbalanced diet...

 Burn Out!
Oh, No!

I needed some quick energy, 
some quick results,
some quick piecing!

****
Awhile ago a quilting friend's neighbor past away.
She was also a quilter.
And like all of us, she had many unfinished
"works of art".
Her family generously shared 
a lot of what was in her studio.
We passed projects and kits around 
and I finally took a kit for a French General pattern.

"La Fete De Noel"
The quilter had already started it,
but unfortunately, had cut a few things incorrectly,
and the pattern was missing.

I found the picture online
and sat down with a pencil and paper
and figured out the math.

And started sewing.
It tasted heavenly,
like when you crave a crispy green salad

when it's been missing from your diet.

Sections have come together quickly.
I'm feeling revived.

A couple more days and the top
will be together.
I'm being fueled
and feelin' good.



Until Next Time-
Kyle

Sunday, August 7, 2016

The Hazy But Not Lazy Days of Summer

In 1963 Nat King Cole
sang about the
 "Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer
the days of soda, and pretzels and beer. 
You'll wish that summer could always be here."

We are in the midst of
 the hazy days.
 
 Most of this thick haze is due to 
wildfires to the south or north
depending on which way the wind is blowing.


There wasn't much time
to be lazy this week despite the hazy part.

I  spent several days helping
my daughter set up her second grade classroom
for the start of a new school year.

Last year she was in 4th grade, so once again, she had
to change classrooms and
 get ready with a new curriculum. 

It was good to have a helper with us to
 keep us on task.
"toot sweet"

Having been an elementary teacher
a looooong time ago, there's energy
 when the bulletin boards start going up.

****
I spent another day last week
being a "quilt judge" for the
local county fair.

It's an interesting and challenging task.

The quilt makers come to listen
 to your critique and comments both positive
and the suggestions for improvement.


You get to see a lot of fantastic work.

I did noticed the lonely little pile of 3 quilts
in the hand quilted category and nothing
was hand pieced.
It's an almost extinct area for 
some shows.

I know hand quilting isn't something I do as
much as I use to.
I did hand quilt my Mountmellick quilt last year.
(I'm giving myself a positive nod)

There was one hand appliqued quilt entered
and no hand embroidery quilts. 
Binding for the most part were
machine finished.
(There's a real skill to do that well, 
I'm just saying).

It all must be a sign of the times.
The slow quilting movement either needs
to pick up speed, (hahaha) or 
come to my area of the world
or those special categories will soon disappear. 

****
With all that work behind me
maybe this week will be the
lazy days of summer.
 
I can't speculate
 about the
crazy part.

Until Next Time-
Kyle