Urban Runner

Yesterday I demo'ed the Quick Curve Ruler for the "Mod Squad", which is a sub group of my guild.  I didn't take my camera and was too nervous to remember anyway even if I had taken it.

The demo went well. I didn't cut a finger off !  Always good.  And a couple of the quilters actually had a few blocks of their own made by the end of our afternoon. 

I showed the cutting and sewing with these blocks

I ran out of the backing fabric, it's old and I doubt I will find it, and the one block up on the right has a different background but that's all I had of it so now am at a stand still with this. And that is fine because I REALLY wanted to start using my 

 new fabric I just bought anyway!! The line is called Winter Lane by Kate & Birdie Paper Co. (a new designer to me) and I  love the aqua, red and browns.

Last night I had the house to myself: 'glorious'!

 I sewed, 

 and sewed

 and sewed

until my eyes nearly fell out and I had to go to bed!

Fun-fun and so therapeutic!!

I work today but can't wait to get the 2nd runner together.  

Oh and last night I bought Amanda Jean's newest pattern.  

She had the original with her when she was in the 'burgh and we spend the day together. Everyone commented about how cute it was.  

  Now to find the time to make it! 

Retreat!!

The Quilt guild I belong to had it's annual retreat over the weekend.

I'm always a bit negative about going on retreats.  It seems like such a bother gathering up all my stuff and taking it to a strange place to sew. When I already have an organized routine at home.  

But after getting settled in, I'm happy I did.

Of course:

I packed too much!  

I ate too much.

I laughed too much-no that's not possible! But you know what I mean.

I made some new friends. (Hi Mary Lynne!) and got to know some of the other guild members a little better and attached a few more names to faces. 

And I got a lot done.  

I thought I would get much more done but isn't that how it always is?

The two latest blocks in Jenny's Curve it Up Quilt along were first.

Here's all my blocks so far.

I pieced all 85 of the 90 blocks I need for Urban Candy.  I didn't finish the final five because I didn't have enough of the colored curve pieces cut!  How the heck did that happen!

They are cut now and I will post a picture soon.

They need pressed before I put 'em up on the design wall.

Although I'm not thrilled with the colors, this quilt is not for me and I'm excited to see all the blocks together.

And finally, I pieced 8 of these X blocks.

Four blocks (12 inches each) make an X.  I'm using my strings to make the centers. After all the curved piecing I did, it was very nice to slip back into mindless sewing.

I've finished quilting a huge quilt for Libby and can't wait until she picks it up so I can show a few pictures.  She says she hasn't been on the blog for a while but just in case I want her to see this one in person first.  

Oh and I got a new pattern.

oh my gosh! I can't wait to make this one!!

Slim the Snowman

Oh isn't he cute!  

A little washed out but that is my crappola photo skills again.

When Libby and I were at the Quilt shop last week.  Debbie wanted to show me a few of the samples she had made for the shop. Slim the Snowman was one of them.  You see last year when I was there, we got to talking about primitive decorating and fabrics and wool etc and I asked Debbie if she had seen Primitive Quilts & Projects magazine.  She had not so the next time I went I brought my copies for her.   Long story short-she loved it and became a subscriber and also started carrying it in her shop.  

Too cool.

I get the magazine, drool over every project, earmark 'em and then after a week or so I forget.  

Slim was in the last issue (Winter 2012). 

 Oh and I want to hook the rug in this issue too!  Actually I think there is a rug in every issue and I want to hook them all.....OK I'm dreaming now....

Tonight is guild and Rebecca Silbaugh of Ruby Blue Quilting & her mom will be doing a trunk show and then on Tuesday all day workshops.  I have to work on Tuesday and am sorry now that I didn't think to ask off. 

We've been asked to bring snowman theme quilts for display. I have 3 and Slim makes four.  

I just looked outside and it's started snowing.  

Appropriate.

Quilt Guild meeting

was tonight.

  

Linda M Poole was our speaker.

I am not exaggerating when I say her lecture and quilts were more than worth the price of membership!  

I so regret forgetting my dang camera.  

(but I remembered my name tag!) ha

Take a look at her schedule and if you are anywhere near where she's going to be speaking---GO!  You will not be sorry.  

NYB Simplified

Here is my first block.

6 1/2 inch block

Last night was our first quilt guild meeting of the year.  Linda J Hahn was our speaker.  She gave an excellent trunk show of all the quilts in her book and is a very funny lady too!

Today was the workshop, but I wasn't sure if I could make it with vacation and all so I didn't sign up.  

I had bought this book months ago when I decided I really wanted to make a NYB one day.

As you might recall, paper piecing and I don't get along.  So after a successful newbies class on the subject last year through the guild I got all excited, bought the book and then just as quickly was distracted!  

This morning I thought I better give it an attempt.

  This 6 1/2 inch block took me 2 solid hours.  I messed up 3 times and then turned the book upside down -and wallah I could do it.  I sewed right on the printer paper that I had.  I'm going to head out now and see if I can find some EQ printable foundation that Linda recommends-it doesn't have to be removed.  We felt her quilts after the lecture and you can not tell there's anything in there.

I also want to get a 9 1/2 inch square ruler. 

I need rotary cutter blades too- 45mm and 28mm.  Last night while I had 5 minutes before I had to leave to pick up Libby (she finally decided to try the guild!) I changed the blades on my cutters---none of them worked well.   I hate doing that 

little job.  I'm afraid of those things.

*******

fun times, fun times.  Life is Good.

just a quick update

The 2nd Witch is in is finished.

 It was on my 2010 list and I'm glad it's done and put away.

I didn't say anything but I caved further on Thursday;  I took my laptop down to my sewing space and pieced The 12 Days of Christmas from Temecula Quilt Co

I think I might hand quilt it. 

I say that because this is what HQ looks like right now.

GASP!

That black piece on the table is the bottom side of my track upgrade.  We started putting it together this afternoon, well I supervised cleaned up the boxes; Paul is doing the actually assembly. 

 And then the phone rang. 

 He got called into work. 

Always the way it goes.  

*******

This morning was the guild's newbies class.  It was a very informative class. I enjoyed it very much and from an April Cornell charm pack I made this

I think it will be a spring table topper.

I only have 6-7 charms left, looking at the photo now I think I will make two more blocks  and call it a table runner.

I'm very close to having all the little flying geese made for my Small Treasures quilt.  I had to cut out a bunch more 1.5" squares for it. 

****

Knitting...?

No, just casting....

last night watching a YouTube tutorial.  

I'm left handed so it was a bit awkward at first.  

I cast on 40 stitches-TWICE.

Then I got sucked into the abyss "YouTube tutorial land" watching rug hooking demos...

I am making decent progress on the Skinny Santa.

 Although his being complete by end of January is if-y mainly because the month is going way too fast, and I don't seem to have any control over it.

Is anyone else dizzy?

Perhaps it's just me.

********

Yesterday, I spent the day with several quilters from the guild I'm in at a sew-in for their community outreach. 

They had blocks already pieced from donated fabrics.  

I  put 2 lap size tops together and brought them home to quilt.  

It was a very good day.

I even made dinner.

Amazing.

Quilt guild tote

So I'm in the 'new bee's class' for the guild.  

It's a fun time once a month on Saturday morning.  I've made it to two of the classes in these last 4 months.  So I'm batting .500-pretty good if I were on a baseball team.

The first class we made our name tag.

Then we made a little Halloween project-I missed this class but did mine at home.

Last month we did PAPER PIECING-in hind sight it was a fun class; while in the class I was stressed out....

gawd I'm bad at paper piecing.

The class last week I was all prepared to go to---meaning it was on the calendar but I really hadn't got my supplies together.  

And then, as it always seems to happens in December-plans changed. 

 I spent the day with husband and Meghan. 

It was a very good day.

I got an email from the New bee's teacher, Thea reminding us to bring our tote bags to the next guild meeting for show n tell. 

So making mine has been on the 'to do list' all week and yesterday afternoon I figured it was now or never.

I'm not sure which is the front and which is the back-I like 'em both.  

The block in the first photo is another Bl-a-day block (woo-hoo).

Today I MUST clean.

have to

no excuses

clean, clean, clean.

I don't like today right now