Keeping up the Momentum

Check these out:

Aren't the colors gorgeous! Jessica at Life Under Quilts recently hosted a giveaway and I won! My picture doesn't do the colors justice, they are really rich looking. They are Timeless Treasures Allover Dot.

I'm still trying to get back into the sewing / quilting groove and learning how to use my new machine. I made these coasters using left over fabric from the placemats I made.

 

I like how these turned out...think I'll make a few more.

 

Hello, My Name is Joyful Quilter...

... and I am a terrible blogger...when you haven't blogged for such a long time it's hard to break the ice and post again so let's pretend I haven't been gone for four months.

I recent made a set of place mats and a table runner as a gift.  I wish I had more of this fabric, I'd love to make a quilt with this pattern. I found the pattern tutorial on The Crafty Quilter's blog.

I have a new toy. If you are thinking of getting a new sewing machine January is the time to buy. Our local sewing machine shop was clearing out floor models and classroom machines...they discounted the machines 60-70%.  SCORE!

I'm a little late jumping on the scrappy trip around the world bandwagon...

...and (you can't tell it yet) diamond strings.  Literally from my scrap bag, one of three.

 

 These were so much fun to make, I need to dig out the other two scrap bags.

 

 



A friend of mine is going to be a grandma for the first time ... hmmm by now she should be a grandma - the doctor was going to induce labor last Friday since the mama-to-be is two weeks late. I made a "grandma" quilt.

 

Soft flannels on the front and back. The pattern is Atkinson Designs Yellow Brick Road (all time fav). The fat quarters were a little on the skimpy side so I added in some flannel scraps I already had to make up the extra pieces and parts.

 

(Nancy is my official quilt holder - forgot to crop the pic - cute socks Nan)

 

I quilted it with double hearts and loops.

 

I also finished up Sherri Falls Mystery Monday wall hanging. This was so much fun to make. I've wanted to make a fall wall hanging for ages.

 

 

I feel like that big area above the small pumpkin needs something...would it look okay if I embroidered "fall" or "autumn" or a couple of leaves in that area?

 

Garage Sale Find

A few months ago I bought this quilted top at a garage sale. The elderly lady who made the quilt thought she had made it some time in the '70s.

I love the orange gingham in the center of each block. The quilt is truly scrappy...it has flannel, denim, and double knit. The rust fabric is the king size sheet she was planning on using for the back. I bought it thinking it would be a great FMQ practice quilt and (since it was such a bargain) I would donate it after I quilted it...only there's a bit of a problem...

It is huge! 90 x 110 inches! And very heavy. Too big for my frame and Juki.

I was thinking of turning it into four smaller quilts. So how horrible of a person/quilter would I be if I just cut it into four pieces instead of unsewing it?

Here's a rare pic of my motley crew together...Obba, Fred, and Siddi.

Here Kitty Kitty

I have three new kitties.

This guy likes to nap in the sun...

This kitty was a gift from Nancy, she likes to chase the butterflies that land on the verbena.

This cute little plate was a gift from Rose, these little kitties like playing in the sand. Rose made the plate - she decoupaged the cute kitty fabric to the glass plate. Love it.

 

And then there is this cute little kitty, aka psycho-Siddi...she's not new, but so rare stays still that I had to post a picture.





 

Can you tell I haven't been doing any quilting?

 



Changes

 
I changed up the spare bedroom a bit...removed the foot board from the bed, switched out the side tables, got rid of the rocking chair AND changed the bedding! New sheets, new dust ruffle, new shams and a quilt that looks like it was custom made for the bed.

Love it!

Okay, love the bedding...the walls need some pictures and none of the furniture matches. I'm going to try painting one of the side tables. If that works out then I'm going to paint everything else (except the headboard).

Grey kitties are NOT allowed in the spare bedroom.

The Shopping Experience

Last weekend Stephanie and I went to four new-to-us quilt shops, two in Morgan Hill, one in Gilroy and the last in San Juan Batista, CA. Each store was interesting, each store had different fabrics and patterns and each was a very unique shopping experience.

 

The first shop was in an old house, not overly large but it had lots of nice fabrics...that's it. We never received an "hello" when we walked in or a "can I help you with anything".  I bought a yard of two different fabrics that I had been looking for. As we left the parking lot, Stephanie and I commented on how unfriendly the sales person (owner?) was, how unusual that was for a quilt shop, and that we wouldn't be in a hurry to return to that shop.

 

The next shop was a 180 from the first. The owner greeted us when we walked in, knew we were not regular customers and asked where we were from and where were we going. Asked what type of fabrics we liked and what type of quilt patterns we liked, showed us some new to the store fabrics, showed us where the sale fabric was and demo'd a gadget she thought we would like. Plus gave us directions to the next quilt shop we planned to stop at. Stephanie and I both burst into giggles when we left that shop because we were both thinking the same thing - "Great Shop! When can we plan a trip back?" Guess which shop we spent the most money at?

 

The third shop had just been purchased by a new owner, and from the sounds of it changes are in process...hope so. It was so packed with stuff you could barely move, you couldn't pass a person in the isle, someone had to back up and go around. Fabric bolts were piled on up on other fabric bolts. I did see a few interesting fabrics but didn't feel like digging for them. We didn't spend much time there.

 

The fourth shop was nice and bright with a variety of fabrics, and the staff was friendly. Another store I wouldn't mind going back to especially since they had some lovely civil war reproduction fabrics.

 

Then we hit the Gilroy Outlets...what a zoo, that was a whole different shopping experience! Overall a very fun day.

 

I have been doing more than just shopping. I have one more grey border to add to my solids quilt. This has been very much out of my comfort zone but I really like how it is turning out. I've been calling it my Modern Amish.

 

And I making progress on Sherri Fall's Monday Mystery.  I have no clue how she is going to pull this all together, I'm dying of curiosity. Tomorrow is part 6, can't wait.