Bubbling With Excitement

Last week was bubbly good.

I've had time to sew

and I've got some travel plans.

I was able to machine applique 

the final border of my Sutton Grange.

Again, I used the 100wt poly Invisafil by Wonderfil.

The thread is so thin that it disappears right into

the weave of the fabric.

I used a tiny Overlock stitch, which is

stitch, stitch, stitch, zig-zag.  

The straight stitches

go right along the side of the applique and

the zig-zag holds it to the background.

I use the mirror image feature on my Bernina,
which makes it easier for me to stitch
along the right side of the applique piece.

The whole top is now together.

It's a beautiful design by Di Ford.

The next step is to figure out the machine quilting.

I'm going to work on it myself...eventually.

But in order to do that I need inspiration.

And what better place to get that, 

than to head to Houston

and 

Besides doing lots of shopping, there will plenty of 

quilts to admire and study.  I'll be excited to

enjoy the beautiful quilts of many of my

blogging friends, Wendy, Janet, Karen, Barb,

and my Virginia Quilting Friends and 

I'm sure a few more.

Let me know if I've missed you.

And some of those friends will be there in person.

That will be extra treat!

It will be a whirlwind trip,
but a much needed one.
Running Man is coming to carry
the packages.
Isn't he a sweetheart!

Wish you were all coming too.

Until Next Time-

Kyle

Sajou, a QAL

We may have all decided we needed to

 wear a hat today,

but obviously, 

none of us chose the same style.

The same idea applies 

to the wonderful QAL hosted by

Lori of Humble Quilts.

Lori started with a antique quilt,

did some  math,

and sent out instructions in three mystery steps.

Those of us who followed along

got out our fabrics, and in our own hearts and minds,

created a quilt.

Sajou

22" x 22"

The name comes from a delightful

shop she visited in Paris.

I decided to use some of my treasured Dutch heritage

fabrics along with some of Di Ford's designs. 

Why not!

I tweeted the pattern just a bit

to compensate for my sewing

and to have the blue triangle border 

come out even.  

(sorry, I'm just like that)

 Then it was time to do 

some fun machine quilting.

I used a #28 wt Aurifil thread.

I like the texture it makes on the surface.

I can see some of the stitching is a bit wobbly
and a few points were lost during construction,

but that just adds to the uniqueness. (smile)

Lori is having a linky party for a week, so

head on over to see all the different quilts that

were created.

It's amazing!

Thanks, Lori, for sharing your talent

and passion with all of us.

It's always fun!

Until Next Time-

Kyle

Riding Into the Wind

Some weeks you feel like

you're riding with the wind,

but there are times when

you're definitely riding into the wind.

Those headwinds can be a challenge,

but maybe there are some strategies to stay upright.

Ignore your Speed.

Instead Focus on the Feeling

Last week I had a fall break.

My grands were back east in NC for a wedding.

"Flower Girl"

So you would have thought 

I could have accomplished a lot,

But I just couldn't get pedaling.

Instead 

I tried to focus on the good feeling of 

just accomplishing something.

I had previously prepped the last applique shapes

for the last border of my "Sutton Grange" quilt

designed by Di Ford.

They were ready to be glued in place.

And that's what I did.

Now when the wind dies down,

I'll begin to machine applique. 

That's going to be fun.

Drop down a Gear

And Keep a Happy Attitude

Okay, so I knew I wasn't going to cross

off much on my list.

So I looked at that list

and figured out what I could finish 

without getting thrown off balance.

I had the embroidery done

on two Halloween pieces 

by Crabapple Hill Studios.

Rather than make two small pillows or projects,

I changed direction,

and put them back to back into one pillow.

Perfect!

It was a great solution.

Pompoms make everyone happy and 

make a whimsical finish.

The 3 dimensional flowers

in the pattern can make you smile too.

****

Last Saturday we drove home from Denver

in a blinding blizzard.

We were driving right into the blowing snow.

It was slow going and dangerous.

But today the sun is shining and those

snow covered mountains in the distance look beautiful.

Wait a day,

and things can be different.

I have a good feeling about this week.

Until Next Time-

Kyle