Sewing Room / Studio

Saturday I rewarded myself for going to visit my mother-in-law by going into the Dollar Store and buying out almost every Sterilite storage box they had. I must have spent about $125 on storage for my new studio. Right now they are balanced on the back of the couch in the family room. As soon as I finish getting the living room and dining room in my new austerity format I will truly start on the studio.

My house is a bi-level and the studio will be in the family room that is directly beneath the bedrooms. It is the coolest room in the house during the summer (which is a good thing) and has a fireplace so that I can keep it warm and attractive in the winter. I am so excited about this new studio. I will be able to have quilting friends over for mini retreats.

I am still waiting for my pattern to be sent from Starr Designs that I ordered at the NQA show. I am getting impatient to see it! I still have to purchase about 12 yards of a pale yellow fabric at my LQS to use as the background fabric. I am thinking about Moda Marbles or Fossil Fern at the background, but will have to see what they actually look like next to the HQ bundles I picked up at NQA.

Several of my quilting friends are passing around vintage quilt magazines. We put a post-it on the page of a pattern or article that we want. At the end the magazine will be taken apart and the individual who want the patter will get it. If more than one is interested a copy of the original will be made so as not to run afoul of the copyright laws.

I picked up several pieces of remnant fabric at our local big box fabric store (Joann's here in Cincinnati) on Saturday. That also was in reward of my trip to my mother-in-law. Several are fleece and will coordinate with other remnant pieces of fleece that I have purchased for my quilts for the Alaska baby quilt project that Piecemakers is supporting. Last Thursday at our meeting we took out an enormous storage box with fabric and tried to coordinate fabrics together into packages that will be used to make tops for this project. I picked up so additional fleece then.

I have so many new projects that I need to list on my blog that I will wait until I get some time at home to do it.

Have a great day, Karen

Report of the NQA Annual Show in Columbus, Ohio

We had a great time. There were four of us together in the car and we split and mingled at the show. I spent way too much money...haven't even looked at the receipts yet. Then we cruised around some of the local quilt shops. I got a steal on some glittery fabric at one shop and found a paper piecing pattern at another.

Basically we shopped until we dropped and dropped in at the Olive Garden for dinner. Then we went to another LQS. We didn't get home until after 10 PM. What a day.

I had a shopping list of the things I wanted to pick up at the convention. I got the most important one. Starr Designs has a pattern for a paper pieced quilt top called Fairy Dust. They didn't have one at the show, but sold it to me and will pay the shipping costs to boot. They had the fat quarters for the quilt top and I debated for almost two hours before buying two of them. The only other purchase will be for the background fabric and I can get that at my LQS.

They had the Body Rite Posture Support at the shop but the price was more than I was willing to pay. I have since checked the internet. One place had it for 25% less, but the shipping cost took it right back up into the impossible. Maybe I can find one on e-bay and save some money. Must put a favorites search into place.

Have a great day.

NQA Annual Show in Columbus, Ohio

I really thought I would not be able to attend this year's NQA show, but two friends are going up Thursday and they invited me. How wonderful to have great friends. Since this will be my second year I have a better idea of what to bring and what not to bring.

Extra batteries for my camera are a must. I will be packing a sack lunch instead of going hungry this year and will not forget my water bottle. I am going to leave my purse at home and bring only the essentials in a smal clutch bag. I will use the NQA bag I bought last year and buy another this year and use them for carrying things. Most important will be a good pair of comfortable shoes.

I cannot wait. This year they are having a special exhibit of rose quilts. I plan on getting some great pictures and ideas for my own projects.

If you cannot tell I am really EXCITED about this.

I irons some of my new fabric that I got on e-bay at our small quilt group evening. We shared some patterns and processes for flying geese. I know there will be a flying geese quilt in my future.

Less than 48 hours and I will be in Columbus. Hooray!

Have a great day, Karen

Have you missed me?

I haven't updated my blog in quite a while. Too busy at work and then have caught the e-Bay bug. So far I have spent almost $1000.00 on fabric and one pattern. Now I have to get to work making these purchases into quilt tops and other things.

Speaking of other things I saw the cutest adaptation of a 5" square last night at a birthday party. Two 5" squares were sewn together without a binding with the two bottom corners cut off as if a 2" half square triangle had been removed and the edges where the corners had been were sewn together. It was a scissors holder and if it had been made in orange with green handled scissors it would have looked like a carrot. Words cannot describe it and I don't have a picture.

We were celebrating J.W.'s 60th birthday. What a hoot! It was a surprise birthday party and she hadn't a clue. The food was great, but the conversation and show and tell was even better. It was a new way for us to bond over our quilting without pulling out a piece of thread or fabric.

The party favors were 5" squares of different fabrics rolled up in a ribbon like a napkin ring. You do remember what cloth napkins and napkins rings are, don't you?

I am starting to gather some things together for my new sewing/quilting studio. I haven't measured the room yet, but I know some Sauder bookcases are in order and I have a pattern for a special sewing table that I purchased from Keepsake Quilting. All I have to do is clear out all the stuff from the family room and start creating a floor plan and move everything from my current cubby hole. I should be able to report that it is finished sometime in the next few years. I do move slowly.

Have a wonderful weekend. Karen