Thursday, June 24, 2010

More Pillowcases

Seems I really have the pillowcase bug.  These are 16 of 20 I finished for a different charity that helps foster children.  They supply the fabrics (pre-cut) or you can buy your own.  I have mastered the taco or hot dog pillowcase method making all of these.  You really can get in a rhythm with these.  Anyone can look into their hometowns to find places that need pillowcases.  It sure is a fun way to use up your stash.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Finished another UFO

This was such a simple, fun project I put off for so long.  It's a funky yoga mat bag.  It's a free pattern you can print from Amy Butler's website.  She is one of my very favorite fabric and pattern designers.  The fabric is hers too.
I have my (actually my daughter's) lavender mat tucked inside, all ready for yoga tomorrow night!  I just realized the picture is sideways and I can't fix it in this program!  But you get the idea.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Reading again

Here's another book to enjoy for summer reading.  I really like this author and am finishing a third book by her.


This is Sarah Addison Allen's newest books.  Her first was Garden Spells and it was lovely.

I love to read and am so happy I have some time to read again.  My local public library is my first choice for finding books.  What are you reading?

Friday, June 4, 2010

Empty Spools at Asilomar

At the end of this month, I'm going off to one of my favorite places in the world -- Empty Spools Seminars at Asilomar, CA.  I've been the past three years and it is a heavenly experience.  You sew and eat and eat and sew and meet fabulous quilters from around the globe and take a class with a world renowned teacher.  In past years I've taken classes from Mary Lou Weidman, Jan Krentz and Judy Mathieson.  This year my friend and I plan to improve our machine quilting with Diane Gaudynski.  I am nervous but then I always am when getting ready for this venture.  Here are the books we'll use.


Our four pages of prep instructions is shown there too. 

Last weekend my friend and I got together to make our nine patch sample from neutrals.  We bought some silk batting to use in this project.


The objective is for the fabric to be in the background and the quilting to be the star.  That remains to  be seen with my quilting!  I also bought some beautiful cotton silks for practice.  I'll make some 18" sandwiches for these.


Here is a picture of the place.  It is the best quilting I've ever done here.  The website is www.emptyspoolsseminars.com.  Some sessions are already full for next year.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Christmas in June

My May sew day was all about a Christmas project that our dear friend got ready for us.  Six of us meet together monthly, some months we have a project to do together, some month's it's UFO day.  Nancy had a great idea to make a Christmas wallhanging last month.  She machine embroidered 100+ Christmas blocks for us.  Her Viking must have been smoking!  There was a pattern for the project but we all improvised and designed our own based on the blocks we liked.  We added fabric strips until it all came together.  One of the group added flying geese, pinwheels and postage stamps to her sashings.  I was not as ambitious but like mine anyway.  You can see mine above, almost finished.

Here are some of my very favorite designs.

 Isn't this Charlie Brown Christmas tree just the cutest?  It sure brings back memories of watching the Charlie Brown Christmas show as a child.


And here's an angel, wouldn't be Christmas without one for me.




I love this "Snow Lady".  She is so sweet and round.  And her bag has an "M", just for me I thought.  But Nancy told me her name was Mildred, not Mary!

I need to add a nice red border.  I'll go to the quilt shop after work tomorrow for it and some backing.  Then I'll do some simple quilting and get the binding on pronto.  Our sew group meets again Saturday and we were supposed to be done.  I can't meet but promised I would finish.  Nancy was such a friend to make all these blocks for us.  A picture of the finished product will be coming soon.