I need to catch up on my reading!

I've been sorting and organizing in my sewing room and ran across my pile of magazines I've received in the mail the last several months. Apparently the last several months I haven't had as much time for reading. My pile of magazines is bigger than it ever has been!

This summer I skimmed down on some of my subscriptions since I just wasn't able to read everyone that I was subscribed to. I love reading and browsing through each issue and don't want to miss a single one, but I can only read so many!

You can gain so many ideas and glean tips that are so helpful for quilting and embroidery. Plus there's lots of basic info to read in each issue. So one of my new year's resolutions is to stay on top of my magazines. Perhaps if I do a little reading every evening, I keep my pile under control! :)

at least my finished reading pile is still larger
than my to-do reading pile!

A quilt to stitch in less than 5 days - part 4

The quilt is pinned together, ready for quilting. And it's not even 9 pm yet! I was able to make fantastic progress today!

all safety pinned together

The first quilting I will do is stitch in the ditch around all the blocks and borders to stabilize the layers together. Then I will proceed with more quilting in the blocks and borders. I haven't made up my mind to all the designs I'm going to use, but I have some ideas.

all rolled up and ready to put under the machine

If you would like to see how I lay out my quilt top, batting and backing and safety pin them together without any tucks or wrinkles, see this post.

Also, see here to see how I use the Kwik Klip with curved safety pins for pin basting my quilts.

A quilt to stitch in less than 5 days - part 3

Hooray!!!! I'm right on schedule!!!

I had all the quilt blocks pieced and pressed by noon as originally planned.

And the top is complete with borders, pressed and ready to sandwich with the batting and backing.

before I started stitching...

I've been busy...throwing scraps on the floor! :)

A quilt to stitch in less than 5 days - part 2

I did not get all the blocks done as planned yesterday for several reasons. (1) I'm not sure how I calculated 15 minutes per block, but that was stretching it by a whole lot. I was a little too optimistic. It's been taking longer even with chain piecing and doing one step on all the blocks at once. (2) Yep, I ran out of fabric, which was one thing I was worried about the entire time I was stitching.

I needed about 18 more inches of the pink fabric for the pineapple blocks. That required me to stop, dig around in my stash of fabric and come up with some other hot pink that would blend well. I found something which will work great, but that took a little figuring that out and cutting more pieces.

I started the nine patch blocks - stitched the strips together and then cut them apart. I found out a needed a few more strips. I cut those, stitched them and cut them again. They are ready to sew into blocks.

Needless to say it was well into this morning when I quit with this much done:

But all I have left to finish the blocks is the blue corners on the pineapple blocks and stitching the nine patch blocks together. Then the blocks will be together!!!

I was able to change a few things on my schedule today so I can get started stitching now instead of late morning or early afternoon. So here is my goal for today:

1. Finish the pineapple blocks and nine patch blocks by noon. (I should only have a couple hours max on those.)

2. Get all the blocks stitched together.

3. Stitch the two borders on and cut binding. (Hopefully this won't take too long provided I have enough fabric - which at this moment, I do. But I still have to cut the borders as well as stitch them. Should be at this point by 5:00.)

4. Sandwich the quilt top, batting and backing together. (I may not get to this, but I really need to so I can start quilting tomorrow. It should only take 3 hours to get the backing prepared, quilt laid out and pinned together.)

We'll see what happens today....

A quilt to stitch in less than 5 days - part 1

I always have lots of projects in my mind and always think they will take less times than they actually do. That's exactly the situation I am finding myself in right now.

I have a queen size quilt I am stitching for a customer right now that has to be done by this weekend for Christmas. I should now be at the quilting point, correct? And where in actual time do I find myself at the moment?

I just finished cutting out all the pieces for the quilt top minus the borders. My goal of getting started early this morning turned out to be about 2 pm this afternoon. Then I had plan A drawn out and calculated for cutting, when I discovered that there was not enough fabric for plan A.

So after typing in calculations for plan B, C, D, E and F in my Bernina Quilter program, I have finally come up with the combination for the quilt blocks. I think. I hope I will have enough fabric to get all the pieces I need. But who knows, by the time I'm finished, I may be clear through the alphabet.

Since this quilt needs to be done by Saturday and I'll be out of town Friday and I do have other things to do this week, my goal that I made late last night was to get all, yes, ALL 42 blocks pieced by tonight.

And I'm off to a really good start considering that it is 5:30 pm and I have one block stitched (I had to stitch one block to be sure all my measurements were correct, since I was scrimping on fabric) and most of the quilt top pieces cut.

I have a habit - good or bad, I'm not sure - to time myself with certain tasks and figure out how many repeats I can do in an hour and then figure out how long the entire task will take. It took 15 minutes to stitch the pineapple log cabin blocks and there are 20 left to stitch. That means I can stitch 4 in an hour. Which means I'll have half the quilt done in four hours or hopefully by 10 pm. Maybe I'll pick up speed as I go along???

Then I have 21 nine patch blocks to stitch. Although those will be quick since I can sew strips together, cut the strips and stitch the pieces together again. But it still does take time...maybe and hour or so.....???

And hopefully I won't run out of fabric and have to take time out trying to decide what to put in place of the missing piece.

And hopefully I won't run into difficulty with any of the blocks. Because, you know, I have to have all the points and seams match or I'm just not happy with it. :)

And the more I think about it, the more I'm certain that it may no longer be Monday, December 17th when I am finished stitching the last of the 42 blocks.......what do you think?

I think my best plan of action may be to quit typing and get to sewing....and on that note, I'm getting back to my sewing machine. When I start stitching crooked seams, I'll take a break and update you on my progress......

my hopefully enough pieces of fabric

one pineapple block complete!

all my pieces cut

What happens when...

What happens when your sister returns home early from college and you are still using her room for storing fabric and sewing supplies?

It ends up being put back in my sewing and inventory room! It has to go somewhere! :) My neat, organized sewing room has some additions to it!

I'm putting together a tour of my sewing room which I plan to upload in January. So stay tuned for some great sewing room tips for storing and organizing your fabric and sewing supplies!

Thankfulness!

Thanksgiving is here! That wonderful time of the year to reflect over the past year and be thankful to the Lord for His wonderful blessings! For our families and friends. For our warm homes we live in and for the food we have tucked inside our kitchens. For the daily blessings that we take for granted! We have so much to be thankful for! Happy Thanksgiving!

Graphic courtesy of www.allposters.com

Sometime I forget how young...

...I actually am and the fact that I probably look younger than I am.

I've been sorting through business cards and brochures I picked up at quilt market and have to keep reminding myself how unusual it is that I am as young as I am in the sewing/quilting/embroidery world.

It's interesting and amusing the response I get from people when I am at quilt shows, shopping at fabric stores, attending quilt/embroidery classes or teaching those quilt/embroidery classes.

Like when I ordered my ironing board.

As I sat down to fill out all the needed information, the gentleman taking my order said, "Aren't you a little young to be in this business?" I just had to smile and say yes, explaining how I got started and became completely addicted to "this business".

You have to keep in mind that there are not too many young people my age at a quilt market only open to retailers and teachers!

That was by no means the first comment I heard and most certainly not the last! Does that bother me? No, certainly not!! Just think - I have so many more years to complete all the projects swirling in my head and will have lots of opportunities to build up my fabric stash and use pieces from it! :)

Stay tuned for some fun giveaways!!

Who doesn't like winning some free giveaways? With my recent trip to Houston, I found some fun fabrics, threads and notions that I managed to pack in my overflowing luggage. I've been mulling over giveaway ideas on my blog for the past several months and decided that now is a perfect time to implement it!

So stay tuned for the first giveaway being posted on Monday. I will show you the fun new sewing room item you can win and what you need to do to be entered in the drawing! Be sure to check back on my blog next week for details...

A year ago...

For those of you who recall my difficult October/November 2006, this past week marks a year since my Mom passed away. The last year has been rough, especially this past week. I can't help but remember a year ago.

My mind seems to have taken a break from creativity and stitching (can't see how with my mind boggling Houstin trip!) for the last few days. Thank you so much for the notes and prayers for myself and my family over the past year!

Artist Laurel Burch dies at 61

In my blog reading this morning, I discovered that Laurel Burch, famous artist and fabric designer passed away this week.

Her work can be recognized with a glance, usually using bright, bold colors on a black background. Her designs such as cats, horses, jungle animals and others have been reproduced in quilting fabric, embroidery designs, t-shirts, scarfs, jewelry, coffee mugs and so much more!

Although I can't say I have absolutely fell in love with her fabrics and embroidery designs, there are some pieces which have captured my eye and I have stitched several of designs from a couple of design collections mirroring her design style.

You can read more from the Marin Independent Journal.

Photo courtesy of Marin Independent Journal.

State Fair Fun!

Yesterday was the day I spent at the state fair! I was really looking forward to attending and of course my main destination was the domestic arts building! How I love to browse through the aisles of quilts, pillows, needlework and other sewn items! I always come away with way too many ideas that I want to stop and do right now!

This year was no exception! There were several quilts that caught me eye and I probably spent way too much time looking and trying to figure out each technique that was used in the quilt! Needless to say I came away with a camera full of ideas that I will never ever get to all of them in my lifetime, but at least I can try to incorporate a few ideas into my own projects!

Looking through the quilts was especially fun since I *just happened* to meet one of my quilting buddies when we stopped to get something to drink on the trip to Hutchinson! I couldn't believe it! We couldn't have planned it any better!

We met up to go through the exhibits and we had such a fun time talking and inspecting each and very stitched article inside! I'm not sure what time we started, but by the time we were finished, I figured we had been there for over 2 hours! But we had such a great time! I'm so glad we ran (literally!) into each other! And then it was so funny the times we saw each other during the day as we were walking around! :)

OESD Block Party starts today!

OESD is starting their block party weekend today! Buy 1 design, get 1 free! Buy 1 design pack, get 1 design pack free!

You don't want to miss this fantastic offer on a beautiful array of machine embroidery designs!! Sale is September 13-17th! Also, as an added bonus, OESD is giving away a free design every day, so check back each day to download your free design!

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!

Waiting for another scrap to fall...

I have been working with some purple pansy fabric for the new quilt I'm planning to start teaching this Fall. I was fussy cutting the pansies out of the fabric and throwing my scraps onto the floor. Skittles was on the floor, looking up at me, just waiting for another piece of scrap fabric to fall!

What do you do when...

The deadline is tomorrow. I have it planned so I will be finished just in time. I turn the stitch length knob, hear something drop and can't change my stitch length! What do I do now? The thought crossed my mind, "There is always more than one way to accomplish a project." And that is just what I did!

A couple weeks ago I was sewing a costume that had yards and yards of sheer fabric that needed to be ruffled and attached to a jacket. My fabric was serged and hemmed, just waiting for the basting thread to gather it up. I lifted my presser foot, inserted my fabric, started to turn my stitch length knob to the basting length of 5 and heard a clunk. All of a sudden my stitch knob turned freely, but my length did not change! The part holding the knob inside the machine fell off.

There was no way I was getting inside my computerized machine to repair the problem. Switching to another machine was out of the question since my other two machines were being cleaned for their annual tune-up. This project had to be finished by tomorrow, so what was I going to do? Basting with a stitch length of 2.5 would not work to gather up the fabric!

First, stop and think! How can I work around the fact that I can't change my stitch length? I started scrolling through my stitches, thinking that I could stitch a zigzag over string and pull the string to gather the fabric. But then a function popped up on my screen that was just what I needed - the long stitch function!

When the long stitch function is engaged, it sews every other stitch. This creates a longer stitch or a basting stitch when using a straight stitch - just what I needed! I flipped back to a straight stitch, engaged the long stitch function and basted the fabric. Perfect!

Things will happen, especially when you are in a hurry or have a deadline to meet. Don't despair and panic! Think of a solution around the problem. Holes appear, fabric gets accidently clipped, you run out of thread or stitch the wrong pieces together. Just remember, "There is always more than one way to accomplish a project!"

See my finished Miss Kitty costume for the yards of purple ruffle I gathered using the long stitch function!

Class Schedule Newsletter

For those of you who live in western Kansas or would like information about my class teaching schedule, sign up to receive my Class Schedule newsletter. This will not have all the tips & techniques like my weekly newsletter you have been receiving, just details and information on my current classes I am teaching. I will send out monthly updates on where I am teaching, what classes I have scheduled in the upcoming months and the dates on each class.

Please note that if you are receiving my current weekly newsletter, it will not contain my class schedule or local class details. I have created this second newsletter for those of who you desire to know what classes I am teaching, but may not want to receive my other weekly emails.

To sign up, click here and enter your email address. You will be taken to a page where you can select to receive my weekly Tips & Techniques newsletter, my monthly Class Schedule newsletter or both! I will post updates on my latest classes on this blog as well, but to be sure you don't miss something, sign up for my newsletter. Thanks!! :)

My Toppling Pile of UFOs

I decided back in February that I was not going to start anything, I mean anything - quilt, wall hanging, pillows or clothes, until I finished my overwhelming pile of unfinished objects! My only exception - I could do a new "something" if I needed it for a class I am teaching.

Have I accomplished what I set out to do? Well, yes and no. Yes, I have stayed on track, not started anything new except for a couple things I needed for classes and have been able to get a few projects finished. I finished up several wall hangings and fixed a pile of alterations that have been sitting in my sewing room since last fall. I was also able to go through my spring/summer clothes and alter the skirts, tops and jackets that needed changed or repaired. I found two spring skirts that I cut out last year and finished those.

So, yes, I made a dent in my pile. But the dent seems oh-so-small! I have a huge, almost tumbling over pile of class samples and half finished ideas to complete. I store most of my projects in totes as you see here with all the pieces and info so it is all together when I am ready to work on it again. I have two stacks of totes this high with projects in various stages. This is only one pile that I am temporarily storing in my sister's room while she is away at school. I am hoping to reduce this a little since she will be home in three weeks!!!

Why do I have such a pile? Excellent question!! It's not that I just start something and never finish, although that happens on occasion. Over the past five years that I have been teaching, my teaching samples have piled up. For each class I teach, I stitch multiple ideas plus several of the same thing in various stages so I can show how to complete the project step-by-step.

I like to have as many visual samples as I can for every class I teach. It gives everyone more ideas and shows how many different themes and projects can be accomplished with just one idea. Plus, it helps me and guides me through the project as I am teaching to have multiplies in different stages. And of course, I only start out making one sample and soon my mind is flying with possibilities and I just have to stitch out some of those ideas! I get myself into trouble when I start asking myself, "What if...?" :)

With multiple classes a month, all different, my samples and in progress projects have just grown and grown! I try to finish some of them each month after I have taught that class, but it usually ends up being filed away in a tote. That is a big part of the reason why I have such a toppling pile of UFOs!

There are always those projects that I start, have a brain freeze and just can't seem to get past it. If I put it away a while and then get back to it, I usually can think of several ways to accomplish whatever I was trying to do. Sometime I will be looking for a certain fabric or notion to complete the project, but haven't found it yet, so I will lay it aside. And there are times that life interferes with my embroidery projects!

I will keep chipping away at my pile, but new ideas are just starting to bloom in my mind! I have been staying up way too late with a pen and paper sketching several new ideas! They are just sketches now; I'm not sure how long I can put off putting them into fabric and thread, but I'm trying.

I've started ideas for a quilt in memory of my mom who passed away last November, a new embroidered quilt that I may teach in a local class and few other ideas. For now I am content to doodle on paper and plan out fabric, embroidery designs and quilt blocks. But it won't take long to switch to fabric! :)

Martha Stewart & Sewing Endorsement

Joan from Lazy Girl Designs has a post about Martha Stewart's recent endorsement with SVP Worldwide. SVP Worldwide manufactures Singer, Viking and Pfaff sewing machines. Hopefully this will inspire more people to the sewing and quilting world.

Here is an excerpt from the SVP Worlwide press release:

"My mother taught me the basics of sewing at a young age and I have had
Singer sewing machines in my home since I was a girl. I used them to make many
of my clothes in high school and college and I even sewed my wedding dress,”
stated Martha Stewart. “Sewing is a wonderfully useful skill. It enables anyone
to create beautiful and functional projects or even enhance something as basic
as a paper gift bag. I’m delighted that sewing is enjoying a national
renaissance since I know very well the pride and pleasure that can be derived
from this rewarding pursuit."

Martha Stewart's website if full of sewing and craft ideas and projects. The projects vary from something as simple and basic as sewing on a button to more complex such as a quiet book or creating a footstool cover.

You have to see this...

Just an ordinary quilt...I don't think so. It seems unbelievable, but this photo is not a quilt created with different fabrics, but carved with wood and stained to create the color. Can you believe the detail? From a distance it looks like a quilt, but as you look up close, you can see the woodworking details.

Visit this carver's website for more quilt photos, hats and jackets. It is just fascinating to see the sculptures he has created.

Hershey's Kisses

Did you know that Hershey's Kisses come in so many flavors? Last week I walked down the Valentine aisle in the store looking for some just plain chocolate kisses. And what did I find?? Flavors galore!! Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, hugs white & dark chocolate, chocolate with almonds or caramel or peanut butter. And that's not all...just in time for Valentine's Day - dark chocolate with raspberry and milk chocolate filled with cherry cordial creme.

I bought some of the raspberry and cherry flavors, put some in a bowl and stuck them in my bag of supplies to take to my class last Monday. As soon as I opened my bag in the classroom, I was greeting with a wonderful smell!! In just the couple of hours the yummy flavors has filled the air!! Not only are they wonderful to smell, but they are also yummy in your mouth!!

Did you know you can also buy Hershey's Kisses stamps online or at your local post office?