Quilt Harvest

Back again....

2011-08-08T13:00:00.008-04:00

Geez, the last post I wrote mentioned coming out of hibernation... and that was in 2009. I just haven't been quilting or sewing much at all, so my blog would have been VERY boring. Here's hoping that I get a little sewing time and will be able to share some of my progress here! I just finished a quilt top that was many years in the making... Back in 2003 when I went to the Thimbleberries retreat in Minnesota for the first time, I spotted a quilt in Lynette Jensen's home that I absolutely fell in love with. Here's my photo from that retreat: It's a scrappy log cabin with vintage TB fabrics - from lines like Winter Cottage, My Best, Harvest Time and the original Paint Box Prints. Year after year I would see the quilt displayed in Lynette's home and, I hate to admit it, but I coveted that quilt. In 2006 she had it neatly folded and displayed on an ottoman. I asked her if she would mind if I opened the quilt up to take pictures of all the different fabrics used in it. Lynette was kind enough to bring it to class the next day and allowed me to take several pictures - enough so that I captured every single block. I knew I had most of the fabrics in my stash and began actively hunting down the rest. I also drew the quilt on my computer in CorelDraw and figured out which fabrics were used in each block, and mapped them all out. I wrote my own cutting directions for each fabric and, once cut, labeled each piece by block number and position. The final lost fabric was found a little more than a week ago with help from www.missingfabrics.com. (Thanks Lynsey!) Ever since it arrived I've been a busy bee and finally finished it this past weekend - whoo hoo!! The top is 76.5" x 95.5" and uses 41 different fabrics. During my last retreat trip I found the exact matching backing fabric in Wisconsin - so I just need to sew that up and mail it off to the quilter. Want to see it? As you can tell, my son Logan is definitely NOT thrilled to be helping hold up the top. LOL I'm so happy with this project that I can't wait to finish up some of my WIPs (Works In Progress).

My Stash....

2009-09-26T19:12:00.010-04:00

What can make me come out of blog hibernation? A Judy L. challenge, of course! Good thing it doesn't involve any actual sewing! LOL

While I do not have a dedicated sewing room, my stash HAS taken over my bedroom closet - causing my dresser drawers to be overstuffed and my shoes to be shoved under the bed. Some blouses are hung on a rung but can easily be pushed aside to access my fabric treasures. Here are some pics:

Left Side of Closet

Right Side of Closet

Detail: Top Shelf on Left

Detail: Top of Dresser

Detail: On Floor in Front of Dresser

Detail: Top Shelf on Right

Detail: Right Storage Containers

Detail: Floor on Right

ALL of those fabrics are Thimbleberries. Inside the dresser are some kits, and the plastic containers hold previous TB Club kits, fat quarters and other fabrics. The laundry basket holds all of my tops, just waiting to be finished and snuggled under. I'll get to that step one of these days...

I haven't done much sewing at all... so I haven't posted anything. I've been working on a little embroidery project I saw on another blog, so hopefully I'll have something new to show in a few days. Please don't give up on me yet!!

Stashbusting - Week 2/52

2009-01-11T17:05:00.004-05:00

Ok... I missed my report last week - mainly because there was nothing to report :) Since my Fat Quarter 5 Stripe top is now finished, it can finally be removed from my kit stash! Whoo hoo!

Nothing added this week!

Fabric Added this Week: 0 yards

Fabric Added Year to Date: 0 yards

Fabric Used this Week: 7.25 yards

Fabric Used Year to Date: 7.25 yards

Friday Finish!

2009-01-09T12:57:00.005-05:00

FINALLY had time to finish my Fat Quarter 5 Stripe. Yippee!! It is made with one of my favorite Christmas lines from Thimbleberries called Snow Country. I changed it up a little by using the border fabric in the sashings also. (The original pattern has very scrappy sashings, made using the same 17 different fabrics used in the 15" blocks.)

I don't know what took me so long (Sept. 2003 until now) but I'm so happy that it's done! When I traveled to my first retreat out in Minnesota, this was a class on the final day. I didn't get much of chance to work on it then because I was worried about missing my flight back to NJ. Even though I LOVE this pattern/kit, it just sat in a box for YEARS, with strips pieced together but not yet cut. Now to just get it quilted ;) LOL

Now I need to get working on some old BOMs. I should be posting some pics of those blocks in progress soon...

Looking Ahead to 2009...

2008-12-28T12:25:00.004-05:00

Let's just say that 2008 will NOT go down in the record books as a good year for us. The national economic situation has directly affected our own finances as (very) small business owners and spending has REALLY been cut short. That has been especially true for my quilt budget - which is most depressing to me. But....

I've decided to look at it positively and, taking Judy's cue, make this year a true stashbusting year! I have so many kits that I've collected in the past that are just collecting dust that, honestly, could keep me busy for a while. So, I vow to make a dent in my kit stash, doing my best to purchase only the fabrics NEEDED to complete specific projects. Since I like to match fabrics exactly to the ones shown on a pattern, I'm always on the lookout for those one or two fabrics that I'm still missing for each homemade 'kit'.

One other goal is to advance with my Thimbleberries Club projects from previous years. So, I plan to dedicate the first week of each month towards this end, working on blocks for the 2002-2007 projects, plus the original BOM, Month by Month. Some parts have already been completed for each of these quilts, but I haven't yet finished a club quilt. Sad, right?

My list of projects for this year is in my sidebar. I plan to post at least once a week to report my progress, especially amounts of yardage busted. Hoping to have some good news to share next week!

Sally Collins

2008-10-11T01:36:00.002-04:00

Today I had the pleasure of hearing renowned small-scale quilt maker Sally Collins speak at my local quilt guild. Her quilts were exquisite and truly beyond words. I hope you enjoy this mini quilt show!

FINALLY Finished (almost)

2008-10-02T16:26:00.003-04:00

Whoo hoo! Here is my completed top - that just needs some embroidery in the windows of the house. I've already stitched the panes on one of the windows, and the rest will get done either at the kids' soccer games this weekend or during TV time with DH at night. (Probably NOT the latter, 'cause he likes being my center of attention when he gets home from work! LOL)

And here's a prize that I totally did NOT deserve. Peggy sent me this Homer's Donut for pushing her to get her Pumpkin House done - isn't it scrumptious?! DH gets hungry every time he see's it. My special gifty for Peg should be going in the mail this week :)

Pumpkin House Progress...

2008-07-26T17:14:00.003-04:00

Slowly but surely my Pumpkin House project is coming along. I was FINALLY able applique down the vines and fuse on the leaves and berries. Blanket stitching will wait until soccer season starts - so I'll have something to do while waiting for my darlings to finish their practices. Here's how it looks so far:

Now I need to work on the pumpkin stems for the middle border. Then it'll be time to add all of the borders. I think I can... I think I can... I think I can...

Tutorial - Applique with Fusible Interfacing

2008-07-14T18:34:00.007-04:00

Still busy working on my Thimbleberries Pumpkin House (have the fences all assembled) so now it's time for the applique. I've been preparing the berries and leaves and I thought I'd give a little tutorial on how to applique using fusible interfacing. I saw Eleanor Burns demonstrate this method on a Simply Quilts episode and I've been using it ever since.

You'll need fusible interfacing, of course. I prefer a medium weight because it will need to withstand some poking. (A lightweight one I bought would shred at the slightest tug - so test out a small corner before you buy.) I am using a charcoal color interfacing because my background piece is black. Here's a photo of the fusible side:

And a photo of the non-fusible side (with the applique shape traced onto it). The interfacing is very thin and I was able to trace the leaf without a lightbox or holding it up to a window.

Next, put the applique fabric together with the interfacing, so that the fusible dots touch the right side of the fabric. Sew on the traced line using a tight stitch (like 1.5) and a thread that matches either the applique fabric or the interfacing. In this case, I used black.

Once it's sewn, trim the seam allowances using pinking shears. This works out really well - and saves you from clipping the curves of the piece. After it's been trimmed, make a few cuts in the center of the interfacing as shown. Be careful NOT to cut the applique fabric!

Finally it's time to turn the right side of the fabric through that cut in the interfacing. You may need to pull at it a bit. I use my Purple Thang to round out my curves and to make my points sharp, but Eleanor uses a bodkin. Either way, fuss with it a bit until you get it nice and smooth - like my leaf below:

Then, position the shape on the background fabric and, following the manufacturer's instructions for the interfacing, press in place. Here's a photo of another piece where I used this same method. The stitches are all done by hand using perle cotton. See how the applique puffs up a bit? That seems to help the stitches lay nicely around the outer edge.

Try it out sometime - you may like it!

*** A special thank you goes out to Peggy for sending me her leftover green fabric for my vines. You're a lifesaver! I'm wondering if my bias strips ever made it out of that garbage bag in Minnesota! LOL

Sidetracked...

2008-07-10T22:12:00.003-04:00

Okay, so I didn't do anything with those Fat Quarter 5 Stripe blocks... I was too busy cooking up a challenge for Peggy. As she mentioned last night, each of us will be working on our Pumpkin House tops that are in various stages. Here's a photo of my UFO, just after taking it out of the bag.

Now, Peggy thinks SHE's bad, having started the project back in Aug/Sept 2007... Shhhh, don't tell her, but I began mine back in September also - 2004! LOL! And I have not one..... not two... but THREE of these patterns! You see, I bought it when I first saw it at my LQS, and then I signed up for the class at the MSCS retreat - so the pattern was included with the class. Now, how did I get the third one, you ask? Well, I forgot to pack either of my two patterns in my luggage before flying off to Minnesota, so I needed to buy another one to use during my class! Stupid, right? You bet...

But that wasn't even the worst of it... During class I got a little sidetracked and started chatting and roaming around the room, leaving my project near my sewing machine. Class ended at 4:30pm, and the hotel staff quickly began transforming the room for the party to be held later that night. I guess my pile of pieces looked like garbage to them, because that's where I found my project! Fortunately, it was in a bag with 'clean' trash - but still... I learned my lesson after that - roam around during class all you want, but make sure you're back in your spot by the end of class! LOL

Finished!

2008-07-10T13:20:00.003-04:00

Whoo hoo!! I was able to finish these two pint size Alpine Star quilt tops last night, JUST before my Thimbleberries Club meeting. They are slightly different and were made from fabrics in my stash. Hopefully my secret swap partner won't guess that one of these is for her!

Maybe I ought to work on that Fat Quarter 5 Stripe... I've already assembled the twelve 15.5" blocks and just need to make the sashings and prepare the border. We'll see how much gets done today ;)

Remember me?

2008-07-09T10:14:00.005-04:00

Yes, I'm a very, very, VERY bad blogger - disappearing for months... Shame on me! I didn't work on ANY quilt projects and spent most of my time working and just 'being Mom'. I would've bored you with my tales of (seemingly endless) softball games, baseball games, track meets, church activities, band concerts, graduation ceremonies, etc. So it was good that I didn't blog, right??? LOL

It took some 'virtual' quilting to get me back in the swing of things. Kairle, who is in charge of our online Thimbleberries group, asked me to help her with one of the swaps planned for our Christmas in July event. I started playing around with the block design on my computer using CorelDraw and came up with these:

The quilt is called "Ring Toss" and is from the Thimbleberries book My Best. I used images of Christmas Punch fabrics that I had saved from a distributor's website in order to color the blocks but, after seeing the fabrics in person, I realized how inaccurate they are. The red I used in the block is actually much brighter and the gold outer ring is more faded. Disappointed, I decided to check my stash - and came up with a nice combination of vintage TB fabrics that should work nicely. Stay tuned!

I've also begun working on my other Christmas in July project - a swap of pint-size (24" square or less) quilts. Yesterday I was able to finish cutting out two of these Christmas quilts (one for my partner and one for me) as well as the pint size Pumpkin House project in the new Pint Size Traditions II book. There are TONS of tiny pieces - but it's amazing how little fabric is needed to make these adorable quilts.

I thought I'd also show you part of my workspace. Now, I'm not lucky enough to have a dedicated quilting room/studio like many of you, so I have to make do with what I have. Here's MY cutting area:

Looks a lot like a kitchen counter and cabinets, right? Well, it is! LOL The open cabinet is a nice place to put my book while following cutting directions, and the counter is the perfect height for me for cutting. I just have to make sure that I clean up everything before it's time to make dinner and do the dishes...

Thanks for stopping by!

My Favorite Pincushion

2008-03-07T09:40:00.004-05:00

While browsing blogs this morning, I found that Patti, Jane, and May Britt had posted photos of their pincushions for the giveaway at Blueberry Lane Designs. I'd like to enter too - but there's a story behind mine...

During the Christmas season back in 2001, my son Logan handed me a notice for the Holiday Boutique fundraiser, in which kids can purchase gifts for their family members for minimal prices. They usually have a variety of small tool kits, personalized pens (saying #1 Mom or Dad), necklaces, keychains, etc. I gave him some money, and off he went to school the next day. When Logan came home, he was SO excited! All he kept repeating was, "You're going to LOVE your gift. It's the perfect gift!" Now, mind you, he went shopping early in December - so I had to listen to him say this every day, several times a day until Christmas morning. That's when I was finally able to see what he was so proud to give me:

Isn't it adorable?! Logan just KNEW I'd love it! It sits by my sewing machine as a constant reminder of my thoughtful son. He's turning 12 tomorrow and is still just as loving and caring as he was when he was 5. Happy Birthday, Logan!!

Progress with my list...

2008-03-01T14:34:00.004-05:00

I've been a busy bee, and have not one by TWO tops to show! Whoo hoo! Here is Lakeland Pines, which is the first quarterly project in the Thimbleberries Quilt Club this year. The Lodge colorway really appealed to me, and I plan to do all four small projects through one quilt shop and the big quilt with another shop. I'm trying my best to support my local shops, and to keep them buying Thimbleberries fabrics.

Here is the second top I've been working on. It's from the Thimbleberries pattern called Flower Maze and I used Autumn Traditions fabrics to make it. I saw it at the retreat last year and just HAD to buy the kit. The colors are perfect for fall, or for watching my favorite NFL team, the Washington Redskins, try to make the playoffs again.

And now for my next project. The fabric FINALLY arrived for my outside borders, and I'm ready to continue working on Fat Quarter 5 Stripe. I spent yesterday afternoon arranging the scrappy blocks and labelling them all with masking tape. There are a total of 108 5.5" blocks, so I wouldn't want to get them (or me) confused... LOL! For now, they're in any empty box that I picked up at Pizza Hut last night, but I'm hoping to do a lot of sewing tomorrow. We'll see how that goes...

Welcoming Beth to Blogland!

2008-02-15T11:10:00.002-05:00

Please say hello to Beth, who just posted her first entry on her blog yesterday! We actually 'met' online a few months ago when she asked me some questions about my blog and how it was setup, and then we MET (in person) out in Minnesota at the retreat last September! I checked through my photos and found this one with Beth at Mr. Halloween's Party, held in the Thimbleberries studio. She's the one on the left side in the back of the picture wearing the cute black and gold apron. Welcome Beth!

I haven't been able to get much sewing done at all - just some piecing on the TB Club first quarter project Lakeland Pines. I have all of the blocks sewn and just need to assemble them into the finished top. Hopefully I can post that soon. My next club meeting is Tuesday morning, and I may just camp out there all day and sew. Don't worry - I'm allowed ;) It's Sit, Stitch and Grumble day (aka Stitch and *itch) and for $10 I can work on my projects with NO interruptions. The kids have vacation next week (all week long) but I could take them for a visit to my MIL's home on Tuesday, right? Let's see how much I can get done then!

First Top on My To Do List DONE!

2008-01-08T14:47:00.000-05:00

It's taken me a little while to get on the computer to post it, but I finished my Twilight Village top on New Year's Day (and it's been crossed out on my sidebar list)! Here's a pic:

Sorry it's a bit fuzzy - I was trying to stand on a dining room chair to take an 'aerial' shot - but I don't seem to be too steady! LOL And yes, I was able to make it with ALL ORIGINAL FABRICS - just as I had hoped. :)

Next on my list is Fat Quarter 5 Stripe. I began this quilt back in 2003 the first retreat I attended out in Minnesota. I love this quilt! Don't ask me why I haven't finished it, because I really can't wait to snuggle under it. All of the strip piecing is done for the 5" blocks, and they still need to be assembled into the (12) 15" ones. I think I need to put up my portable design wall (flannel-backed vinyl tablecloth) and start working on the layout.

To tie you over until I can post my own top, here's a picture of the one on display at the retreat. In front of it (from left to right) are my friend Pam, Lynette Jensen from Thimbleberries, me, and my friend Kairle. We were the first three from our online Thimbleberries group to attend the retreat.

I guess I should actually start working on this now :) Chao for now...

Back again...

2007-12-28T20:41:00.000-05:00

Gee, I think I jinxed myself when I mentioned posting 'three days in a row'! LOL Well, I'm back to blogging, prodded by Kim's message this morning about quilting resolutions. But I'll get to that in just a bit...

As I last blogged, I was working on a mini tree skirt for an exchange with my online Thimbleberries group. I FINALLY got it finished and mailed it off to Kairle :) You can see her post about it here. And I received my own wonderful mini wall hanging from my friend Nancy E.! I specifically asked that there NOT be a hole cut into it. The pattern is called Timber Trees and appears in the Thimbleberries Beginner's Luck book. Would you believe that she matched most of the fabrics as they were in the book - and that those she substituted were VINTAGE fabrics :) She even QUILTED it the same way - I couldn't have asked for more! Nancy also sent three snowman ornaments (two of them handmade) and some wonderful smelling teabags. Here's a photo:

Now that Christmas is over and 'life' has calmed down a bit, it's time to quilt again! Kim has asked about New Year's Quilting Resolutions - and I've added my list to my sidebar. I know, I know... more than forty quilts is A LOT to ask for - but I'd be happy to tackle just some of these! I'm hoping to do them in the order listed, and would LOVE to finish one top per week. (Ha!)

I've also started to save my pennies (literally!) for a home machine quilting system - with a Hinterberg frame, Voyager quilting machine and stitch regulator. My friend Patty has this same setup, and has offered to let me go for a test drive. I just need some plane tickets and a long holiday weekend :)

My other New Year's Resolution is to blog AT LEAST once a week, and update my progress on 'the list'. Thanks for visiting - even when there was nothing new to read. :)

Holiday Table Topper

2007-11-09T18:23:00.000-05:00

Posts from me three days in a row? Something MUST be up... Ah, I figured it out! I finally don't have any house guests to take care of :) As much as I enjoyed Grandpa Nelson and Gloria Elena's visit, it sure is good to have things back to 'normal' again...

I can't post what I'm working on right now - because it's a secret. My online Thimbleberries group is having a Christmas Tree Skirt exchange and I'm busy choosing the right pattern and fabrics. You'll just have to wait to see photos until after the exchange - because my 'Secret Santa' recipient reads my blog regularly...

So.... I'm posting another one of my purchases! (Haven't been doing too much actual sewing, but I've still been able to get my quilt fix! LOL) I won this table runner on eBay recently, and it came in the mail today! It was sewn and hand appliqued by Marilyn Ginsburg, and hand quilted by a friend of hers. All it needs is binding...

And here's a closeup of the hand quilting:

Seeing beautiful hand quilting like this almost inspires me to get out my hoop and thimble and try again.... Note that I said 'almost' :)

Cashing in my Thimbleberries Bucks...

2007-11-08T18:17:00.000-05:00

TB-aholic that I am, I belong to TWO Thimbleberries Clubs - mostly because I want to support as many shops in my area that carry Lynette's fabrics. The shop that I mentioned yesterday, Quilt Basket, is 65 miles away from my home. They carry practically every Thimbleberries product - which is good news for me :) LOL I've been visiting that shop for MANY years (at least eight or nine) and always begged the shop owner, Cathy, to have a Thimbleberries Club meeting at the shop. She had offered TB Club by mail order before, but started the meetings in January, 2005 - and I've been making my monthly visits there ever since!

Then last June, a new quilt shop (Cozy Quilt Shoppe) opened less than 10 miles away from me - and was offering a Thimbleberries Club. Whoo Hoo!!! This shop has been offering pint-size versions of both the big House and Garden quilt and the four seasonal patterns, so I've been able to join in here also. Club members can earn 'Thimbleberries Bucks' at the meetings by (1) showing up; (2) bringing a Show and Tell item; and (3) purchasing a TB item. Well, I 'earned' 56 Bucks this year - and last night was the night to cash them in...

The shop had a silent auction with 18 different prizes - mostly autographed TB patterns and books, as well as some samples of the 'extra' projects offered each month. Each Buck was exchanged for a ticket, and I used 36 of them last night - winning TWO prizes! Here are the patterns that I won:

I've wanted Twilight Village for a LONG time - and even have all of the fabrics collected for that quilt. All I needed was the pattern - whoo hoo! And I really like the Crescent Moon pattern too - especially done with the Autumn Traditions fabrics, like I saw out in Minnesota. Here's a photo of that quilt:

On Tuesday I will be using my other 20 tickets at the day meeting. I hope I'll be as lucky!

Luscious Flannel

2007-11-07T15:14:00.000-05:00

I haven't done TOO much shopping lately (especially after I broke the bank out in Minnesota and Wisconsin) but just received a kit I had ordered!

Last month at my Thimbleberries Club meeting in Wappingers Falls, NY, I was 'called' over to the TB flannel section of the shop. There before me were the most velvety flannels that I have come to expect from Thimbleberries. The newest line is called Christmas Street, and Lynette designed a REALLY simple pattern to go along with it. The shop, Quilt Basket, didn't have any patterns in stock, so placed an order that night for the complete kit (so I'd get the 20% TB Club member discount). And it just arrived!

I don't think I'll be getting to sewing it anytime soon, but wanted to buy it now before the fabrics become nearly impossible to find. See, I'm learning :) Even though I love to hunt for missing fabrics, it's a lot easier to just buy the prints when you fall in love with them...

Vintage Thimbleberries

2007-11-01T16:17:00.000-04:00

As most of my friends know, I am an unabashed TB-aholic. No - no tuberculosis here... just an addiction to Thimbleberries, especially fabric lines from the past that are hard to find now. I love many of the quilts in Lynette Jensen's older books and patterns, and try my best to duplicate them - hunting down all of the 'original' fabrics to make my replications complete :) Yep, eBay has become one of my favorite websites - much to DH's chagrin - and I have been able to find MANY of the ones I 'need' for various quilts.

Lynette's old Christmas lines are some of my favorites - especially the first one she designed. The Christmas Valley line of fabrics were released back in 1995, but I didn't discover it until much later - WAY after the quilt shops had sold out of the bolts. One quilt that I fell in love with used that fabric line, and it started me on my search. The quilt is called Pine Tree Log Cabin and is featured in the At Home with Thimbleberries book. Over many years I found ALL of the original fabrics - and made this quilt top recently:

I had to make some size modifications because I only had a fat quarter of many of the fabrics. So, instead of the log cabins finishing at 8.75", they're just 7"... and the pine trees in the corner were reduced from 10" finished to 7.5". I also made only 30 log cabin blocks instead of the 40 that the pattern called for, but I'm still happy with the result. Now I just have to send it out to be quilted...

I'm currently working on a kit that I bought from MSCS while I was out in Minnesota. I just have to add the borders and it'll be ready to post here :)

I'm back to blogging again :)

2007-10-24T10:22:00.000-04:00

Has it really been more than a month since my last post?? Wow! Time has really flown by... As I think I mentioned before, my father-in-law from Colombia came to visit us for three weeks - and arrived just days after I got back from Minnesota. So what did we do while he was here?? Check out some of the photos we took:

Here are Jorge (DH), Nelson (FIL), Liliana (SIL) and Gloria Elena (SIL) on the ferry boat ride from Jersey City to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, with the Manhattan skyline in the background.

Here we are, in front of the Statue of Liberty.

The kids, being goofy inside the Statue... (What beautiful boogers they are!)

Here's the gang in front of the White House in DC.

This photo was taken at the WWII Memorial, with the Washington Monument in the background.

Here they are, at the Lincoln Memorial.

Sitting near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, taking a break from all of the walking...

Side by side comparison of DH and Grandpa Nelson. Do you see any similarities? LOL!

Gloria Elena and DD hopping on some motorcycles... My DD is WAY to young to be asking to ride on one of these bikes...

Here are DS and DD hugging Grandpa Nelson, the night before he left...

Quick Update

2007-09-19T00:22:00.000-04:00

I am sorry that I haven't been able to post much... All of the activities here at the retreat have kept me busier than I thought! I have created a new Webshots account and have uploaded photos of the Main Street Cotton Shop in Hutchinson, Minnesota and of the Trunk Show given by Lynette Jensen on Monday night. We got a preview of the Quilt Club 2008 quilt and projects in both the Lodge and Lakeside colorways. To see all of these photos, click on this link: http://community.webshots.com/user/thimbleberry5

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, It's Off to Retreat I Go!

2007-09-14T21:57:00.000-04:00

Whoo hoo!! I am typing this from my hotel room in Wisconsin after an EXHAUSTIVE day of travel... I can't wait for my head to hit my pillow - but I'm waiting for my friend Patty to arrive. Patty and I both flew into Minneapolis/St. Paul today at different times and we each took separate road trips. I'm sure she'll have a lot to talk about on her blog once she returns home :) My day started with a mad dash to the airport... I don't know what it is, but I have a really hard time getting to the airport on time, let alone 'early'. Fortunately, DH put his race car driving skills to the test and found a way to drop me off at the terminal with seconds to spare. The kids even chose to see me off at the airport instead of sleeping a few extra hours - how sweet! Once inside, I quickly checked my luggage and ran to the security checkpoint. Surprisingly, they did not have me open my carryon bag (which held my sewing machine) for a hands-on inspection. Once I got my sneakers back on and laptop re-packed, it was off to the gate. I was praying with every step that the plane wouldn't leave without me - and, when I got to the gate, the Continental employee announced that boarding had begun. Whew! I can't tell you much about the flight itself - because I slept most of the time. Before I knew it, the plane had landed twenty minutes EARLY and I was off to the car rental area. I got a compact car (Chevy Cobalt) that suits me just fine. And - bonus - has XM satellite radio! Once I got my GPS gadgetry all setup, it was time to start hitting the quilt shops! (To be continued...)

Packing...

2007-09-13T12:02:00.000-04:00

Ouch! Has it really been so long since I've posted a message?? I guess now is as good a time as any! As you can see, I'm in the middle of packing for my trip to Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. I haven't had much of a chance to do anything quilt related because I've been preparing my home for my father-in-law's visit. At least when I come home from my trip I won't be going TOO crazy trying to clean up, right? :)

While visiting various quilt shops, I'll be on the hunt for fabrics I need in order to duplicate various Thimbleberries patterns. I'm mostly looking for fabrics from the Storybook Prints and Apron Strings lines of fabric, which were printed in the mid to late 90s. Here are four Cover Story patterns that I'm trying to find the exact fabrics for... Do you know where I can any of the fabrics used in these patterns?

Best Laid Plans....

2007-09-06T09:21:00.000-04:00

As you can see from this photo, having two happy kids ready for school was about the only thing I accomplished on my to-do list... Both are now in middle school, which is just up the block from our home. Yesterday afternoon was spent listening to all of their stories... like Logan's issues with the lock for his locker, and how Mackenzie's class has five girls - and nineteen boys!!

I 'did' manage to attend September's Thimbleberries Club meeting at my LQS last night. On display was the fourth quarter pattern Raspberry Swirl - which I think is my favorite of the four individual projects. The TB Club leader and LQS owner had not seen what 2008's club quilts looked like, so I showed them the photo that Main Street Cotton Shop had added to their website. If you'd like to see a preview of next year's club quilt(s), click here. I'll probably do the Lodge version and repeat one of the center blocks instead of doing five different ones. Hopefully we'll get to see these at the retreat - along with the four individual patterns!

I brought an item for show and tell - but I can't show it here, because friends going to the retreat with me will see it and know what will be in their goodie bags from me! LOL It's a really simple project that requires just four seams!

Besides preparing for the retreat, I need to clean my home from top to bottom before September 24. That's the day DH's father will come from Colombia to visit us for three weeks. DH was born down there and moved here 22 years ago. His father has never been to the US, so this trip is a long time coming ;) DH can't wait to show his dad the sights... Not just the touristy ones, but the landmarks in DH's own history. I am so happy that my kids will be able to spend time with Grandpa Nelson, and show him everything about their lives here.

So... today I must TOTALLY clean the kids' bedroom. Grandpa Nelson will be staying in there, and it's a disaster area right now. I'm hoping to have the room re-painted before I leave for MY trip... but nothing's set in stone :)

2007-09-03T11:51:00.000-04:00

Hope those of you in the US are enjoying your holiday weekend! The kids are preparing to go back to school on Wednesday (yippee!) and we're getting our last swims in at the town pool. Here's a photo of DH with Mackenzie and Logan as we were leaving yesterday.

I haven't had a chance to do ANYTHING quilt-related, so I'm going through a bit of withdrawal right now. On Saturday, we went to a barbeque at my Mom's house and I had a chance to catch up with my brothers and sisters. Two of my siblings have needed to visit the emergency room in recent weeks because of incidents involving alcohol. My brother Erik was trying to break up a fight at a bar when he fell and broke his leg - and needed surgery to repair it, which cost a whopping $12,000. His out-of-pocket expense for that one will be $3,000. And my sister Sara was in a car during a fight between a friend and the girl's boyfriend. Well, the boyfriend was drunk and wound up slamming the car door in anger - and caught Sara's ear in it. She needed stitches to close up the wound. I just don't understand why my siblings need to have alcohol to have a good time. At least my kids are seeing for themselves the harmful effects of abusing alcohol.

Well, the plan for today is to (1) finish shopping for school supplies/clothes, (2) swim for a little while, and (3) cut out my Christmas Patches Tablecloth. Here's a photo of one that I saw at the retreat back in 2003. (My apologies to whoever's butt I caught in the picture!) I would like to have all 100 of the hourglass blocks pieced before I leave, so that I can just worry about sewing the rows during class time. I was able to find ALL of the original fabrics, and have been looking forward to sewing this one for a long time :) I'll report my progress tomorrow...

Retreat Talk

2007-08-30T18:42:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited! Two weeks from tonight I'll be packing the last few items for my trip to the Midwest! This is my fifth year flying out to Minnesota and immersing myself in all things Thimbleberries. Can life get any better? Not for this TB fan!

I tell everyone that my favorite souvenirs from each trip are my photos. Even though I'm not a professional photographer, I still get so much enjoyment out of flipping through my pictures, whether it is in a photo album or in a slideshow on my computer. Each year I create a new Webshots album so that I can share the TB experience with my online friends. (Links to the albums can be found in the column on the right.)

This picture was taken of Lynette and me back in 2003 - quite a few pounds ago (the WRONG way). Don't I look like I could be her daughter??? If only I were, then I'd inherit ALL of her quilts - and cross all of those projects off my To Do list! LOL

Note to 'bkstitch': I received your e-mail, but got an error message when I tried to reply. I'd still like to help you... If you have another e-mail address, please send it to me.

Shameless Plug

2007-08-29T18:42:00.001-04:00

See this adorable quilt top to the left? It is from a TB Cover Story pattern called Pun'kin Boy that was published back in 1996. The pattern included the center panel artwork that is a reprint of a 1925 Farmer's Wife magazine cover. The panel was printed on muslin, and there were directions to complete this 32" x 34" wall hanging.

Want to make one of these for yourself? Well, I just happen to have an extra pattern up for sale on eBay. I have two other Cover Story patterns there, as well as some older Thimbleberries fabrics. If you're interested, head on over to Kristie's auctions

Hopefully by selling some of these extras I'll have more spending $$ for my road trip!

(Shameless plug over.)

Hometown Christmas Challenge!

2007-08-29T11:12:00.000-04:00

Kim sure knows how to get a party started! Already Vicky, Sharon, andYvonne have committed to tackling this project - and others like 'bkstitch' are setting up blogs to join in the fun! (BK, click on the 'e-mail' link in my Complete Profile so I can help you with your blog.)

Here are my completed Hometown Christmas blocks - stray threads and all! LOL I had them all cut out before I left for the Minnesota retreat last year, and worked on them throughout my trip. I did my best to match my points but, as Vicky quoted her dad, I wasn't "building a piano".

Now I'm at the point where I have to add the appliques. The directions call for using fusible web to adhere the fabrics to the borders, and LJ machine blanket stitched around the stars, holly, and berries. I've used fusible web before, and have had the raw edges of the appliques start fraying after using the quilt/pillow/etc. So instead, I'm trying a method I saw demonstrated by Eleanor Burns that uses fusible interfacing. Pictured are some of the stars that I've prepared using her method. As you can see, I still have 39 more stars to stitch, trim and turn before I begin to apply them to the red lattice strips. I'll probably blanket stitch by hand, but am considering trying to hand-stitch them down with silk thread. What do you all think?

Well, that's my progress so far! As you can see, I have a LONG way to go, so I'm POSITIVE that everyone else will catch up to me soon enough! LOL

Harvest Time

2007-08-28T13:37:00.000-04:00

Thank you all for your comments to my initial post yesterday! I feel very welcomed into your community, and hope to post quite often.

I thought I'd share one of my finished projects. Pictured is Harvest Time, one of my favorite Thimbleberries patterns of all time. Back in 2002 I was able to find a kit on eBay with ALL of the original fabrics. (As you will soon find out about me, I don't have an ounce of originality in my body, so I channel my energy into duplicating the quilts that I love.)

Anyway, this was one of those projects that I was so hesitant to begin cutting and piecing - just because I was afraid of making a mistake. Last year (I think), I bit the bullet and finished the top - but it took me more than a year to send it out for machine quilting. Even though some of my points don't match up perfectly, having a finished quilt is MUCH better than having the fabrics sitting in a plastic bag, hidden away in a closet.

I'll be bringing this quilt along with me to the MSCS retreat in September for a Show 'n Tell party. The retreat itself is from the 17th to 19th,but I'll be gone from the 14th to the 20th, visiting quilt shops in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. If any of you out there have any MUST SEE quilt shops in those states, please send me the recommendations! Even if I'm not able to visit them this year, I can add them to my destination list next year.

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P.S. Those four sets of hands in the picture belong to my kids - who were NOT thrilled to be holding up the quilt for ten minutes while Mom kept trying to get the perfect photo. My son hid his head, but my daughter poked hers above the quilt, giving me that "are you done yet?" look...

My First Post!

2007-08-27T15:06:00.000-04:00

Not so subtle, huh?!? LOL

Yes, it's my birthday - my 33rd, to be exact. And, as part of the festivities, I'm celebrating another event - the birth of my very own blog!

I've considered starting a blog for some time, but got the final push from Kim - especially when she mentioned the Thimbleberries' Hometown Christmas quilt. I already have all of the houses and trees completed, and just need to work on the borders and all of their applique shapes. I'll be doing them all by hand - so I'm sure that everyone else working on this project will catch up with me rather quickly! LOL

Just a short bit of background about me: I've been collecting Thimbleberries fabrics for many years and only started to cut into them recently. Most of the reason for that was that I feared my piecing would not be accurate enough and I'd ruin the project. Slowly I've been getting better - but, as you can see by the lists to the right, I still have A LOT of quilts to make! (Thanks Patti for your help with the HTML code for my lists!)

I guess that's all for now... I should have more to say tomorrow!