Monday, September 29, 2014

Design Wall Monday 9-29-2014

RETREAT WEEK IS HERE! 

We interrupt this Design Wall Monday to bring you this news bulletin.  Bonnie is going on retreat this Thursday.  We now return you to your regular Design Wall Monday post. 

Yep, I'm excited about going on retreat.  I have three days to get myself totally organized and packed.  Thursday morning I will be heading out.  Some of the highlights include being able to see my friends Sharon and Mary Beth from Maryland. Generally I keep my nose to the stitching grindstone so I usually get a bunch of stuff done.  And, I so enjoy girlfriend time with quilters.  

In an effort to be ready by Thursday, I brought my three wild dog patterns down to the beach to get prepped for sewing.  One got done completely.  The other two need a few more items prepared before I can fuse them to their backgrounds.  But, then I had a shock.  How do you transport a block flat, in a truck with two dogs and not a whole lot of room.  I thought my solution was brilliant! 
Block laid flat on pressing/cutting board wrapped up with plastic wrap. Hey, it worked really well! 
Dorothy, Kay and I went to the Hatched in Africa trunk show.  Wow!  They have beautiful designs and wonderful ideas of where to put there designs.  I have to admit I walked away with an 3 set special of beautiful flowers.  I even have a plan as to where I'm going to use at least one of the designs.  Now to find time to do it.  

These are the same gals I got into so much trouble with over the summer while we were shop hopping for the row by row experience.  (I have 6 rows mostly done.) Hey, Dorothy, did you save a piece of candy for me?  Kay's pouring over the design book trying to decide what to buy. 

I also found my plastic canvas.  Dorothy has ideas for it so I'll let you know what we decide to do with it.  I'm thinking it might make a great front to a beach bag.  Dorothy thinks we should try embroidering on it.  

My goals got accomplished last week for the most part. But, I admit to planning easier goals so I could get them done. 

Week of September 22, 2014
Attend Hatched In Africa trunk Show & lunch w/friends
Lunch out Wednesday w/ woman’s club friends
Trip to Nags Head and the beach
Knit on sock
Load Sailboat Quilt on Ruthie
Prep last 3 wild dog blocks √ one is all ready 2 just need assorted parts
Prep new quilt √ scraps prepped.  Need to cut background

Week of September 22, 2014
Hair cut
Prep last 2 wild dogs
Cut background for new scrap quilt
Cut blocks for Christmas favorites
Attend Country Piecemakers Retreat!!
Get to Amish store to buy licorice and glass chimney for candle sticks
Visit Patchwork Plus

I haven't decided on which projects to bring.  The three that are definitely going are the Wild Dogs, Christmas Favorites and the new scrap quilt to be used as leader/enders.  I will definitely bring about 5 projects as I like to be able to do different things if I get bored.  

That's it for now. Catch other design walls by visiting at Patchwork Times.

Happy Quilting All! 



Friday, September 26, 2014

It's Official!

Pat and I are proud to announce that we (and the bank) are proud owners of a house in the Village of Nags Head as of yesterday evening.  Within a couple hours of closing the lock box and the for sale sign were gone!  It's been cloudy and windy the last two days -- this was taken when we were first looking at it.   We're doing some minor repairs and clearing out stuff that was left by the previous owner that we don't want.  We'll be putting it into a rental program beginning in the spring.


I'm getting ready for my fall quilting retreat.  During the June retreat my friend Nancy shared her "always ready" box.  I took some pictures and thought I would share what's in her box that she just grabs and goes. 



I'll let you know what's still in the box after I tell you what she has spread out so we can see it. 

From left to right -- a paper bag for trash, excess threads etc; rotary cutter in a case; needle threader, the silver instrument with a slight hook is a seam ripper; pins; small ruler especially useful for determining 1/4"; plastic straw which she puts over the spindle of her featherweight to hold bigger spools of thread upright; a pointed stick; a Purple Thang; a small ruler; an emery board; a brush for cleaning the bobbin area of your sewing machine; mechanical pencil or possibly a pen; two different pairs of scissors -- one is probably just for snipping thread and the other is for close cutting of appliqué piece; a magnet and a turning stick.


And inside the box from the back left around clockwise to the front left.   A screw driver; something in the silver pouch that I remember being pretty cool but I can't remember what it was; a chalk marking pencil, finger nail file, loose chalk marking pen, emery strawberry, extra sewing machine needles; pencil sharpener, hand sewing needles (in the wooden case); a door peep hole to check your design from a distance when you don't have much room; thread net; a measuring gauge; a rubber needle puller and again, I have no idea what was in the white square plastic case.

I take many of the same things that Nancy does but mine are not grab and go.  I do have a case I can grab and go for my featherweight but not for the Bernina.  What I do have is a list in Excel that I have worked on over the years that helps me remember things I might not remember.  I print it out a week or so before any sewing trip and add and subtract from the list based on what I am planning on working on.  

Thanks Nancy for sharing your box of goodies ready for any sewing trip! Wish you were going with me next week. What are your favorite tools to take on a retreat or quilting class?  While I'm retreating next week Pat and the dogs will be here at the beach.  We've had gloomy weather so far but the sun has just come out with blue skies. It's time to sit on the front porch! 


I'm looking forward to some quilting retreats to the beach house over the next months.  I need to get myself organized and set up some dates!  Of course there is so much here to distract a person from quilting.  I'm proud to say I have gotten stuff done on my wild dog appliqué blocks along with some general house cleaning and figuring out what is where.  It is interesting to buy a furnished house to say the least!  

Happy Quilting All!   



Monday, September 22, 2014

Design Wall Monday 9 - 22- 2014

This is going to be a really busy week!  You won't see all that much sewing accomplished but I have some sewing related activities to look forward to. 

I finished the Mystery for Relay #28 by Saturday night.  And, I delivered it to the head of the auction committee on Sunday.  Glad to have fulfilled my commitment.  You can see how it looks here. Needless to say I am thrilled with Ruthie and all her enhancements! 

Now I am working on getting ready for the fall retreat. In just over a week I'll be heading up to the Harrisonburg area for 3 nights and 4 days of sewing. Yippee!  I am tickled because not only is Sharon joining us, (she has been for several years now) but Mary Beth is coming too.  We had a few open spots so I sent emails to a couple of the gals who go to the Maryland retreat and MB jumped right on it.  

I have been working on UFO's a lot this year so I decided I would pull out my "Wild Dogs" blocks and finish them off.  I thought I only had one or two left and all I needed to do was blanket stitch them on the sewing machine. WRONG.  I have 6 stitched and 2 that need to be traced, fabric picked, fused, cut, ironed on the background and stitched.  I thought stitching while at retreat would work well because it is pretty mindless work and I could talk and stitch.  Good thing I looked at this a week before I leave.  I will be tracing designs and getting everything prepped before I go so all I will need to do is stitch.  It'll just take a bit more time than I had planned! 


These are Amy Bradley's designs that I bought in 2006 at the FCQ show.  I was so in love with them that I went home and made one the night I bought them.  Eyes are missing and anything else that is embellished.  Those will be added after it is quilted.  All I hope to do is get the other three dogs appliquéd in place.  I must say the colors are really washed out here.  The dog on the bottom left is on a bright orange background!  

Two of the three blocks ready to work on. 
I have also been making blocks for the most recent FCQ Equilter.  This is a an easy block and I am tickled to use up some of my cream background -- you know the type -- it looks like a city landscape because you've taken out so many bits and bites.  I need to get what is leftover into my scrap system.  I really like this block!  

Here's what I accomplished last week.  Yea! for getting things done even if it wasn't everything I wanted to do.
Week of September 15, 2014
Upload new pantograph patterns and try them
Make backing for mystery quilt to be given to church auction
Quilt mystery quilt
Bind mystery quilt
Finish paper pieced glasses from row x row (can’t find the pieces!)
Finish table runner from guild
Plan quilting for sailboat quilt
Attend Womans Club and bring part of lunch
Knit on sock

Week of September 22, 2014
Attend Hatched In Africa trunk Show & lunch w/friends
Lunch out Wednesday w/ woman’s club friends
Trip to Nags Head and the beach
Knit on sock
Load Sailboat Quilt on Ruthie
Prep last 3 wild dog blocks
Prep new quilt 

You noticed that last one didn't you?  Ok, I am starting a new quilt.  I've had a scrap pattern I bought from Marge of Mysteries for Relays.  I've owned it for YEARS.  I've had it in a basket on the sewing table for many of those years.  There is a rationale for starting this quilt.  First, it will be an ender for me.  (I don't usually use leaders but I use enders as much as I can.)  Second, I can't really get any more strips in my 2" drawer so I have to do something.  I hope to make a dent in it so I can put more in there.  Ha!  I bet I can take out enough for a lap quilt and not make a dent in those 2" strips!  Anyway, hopefully you'll see the result of that effort in the next few weeks. 

Time for me to get on with the day.  You can see other design walls by going to Patchwork Times. 

Happy Quilting All!