My value viewer and 60 degree diamond cutter ruler arrived from Karen Combs on Wednesday. With all the chaos about the rug cleaning and furniture moving I haven't had a chance to use them for the process of choosing my fabrics for my first illusion cube.
We are still sleeping in the living room. James was just to tired and despressed last night to help move things out of the master bedroom. We have to get moving on this so that we can begin living like human beings.
My plan is to pick up the new dining room table at IKEA on Saturday and have James computer desk and the new table in the dining room before the end of Saturday. That should leave me Sunday for quilting.
Our LQS, Best Friends Quilt Shop, is having a NICU quilt making class on Sunday. It is free and the results will be "Just a Little Trip Around the World" quilt for a baby in ICU. I cannot wait for this free class. Maybe some of my other friends who take classes at Best Friends will be there too.
I have to get moving on all these things so that I can get back to my quilting. I am going through withdrawal...I'm melting. LOL
Have a great day, Karen
Friday, July 11, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Pictures sent & house cleaning
I used my husband's digital camera and took several pictures of my fabric for Patchwork Illusions. After cropping one I sent it to Quilt University. Karen Combs recommended that rather than keep them in the same color, to arrange them by value.
I finally gave in and ordered the value lenses and Karen's diamond template to work on my homework in this class. I cannot wait for them to arrive.
On the home front we got everything out the dining room, living room and hall and had Stanley Steamer come in and clean the carpets. They look almost new except for the few stains that could not be removed. I am going to wait until the carpet is totally dry and try Oxi-Clean in a concentrated form and see if I can get out more.
The new couch was delivered yesterday evening and it looks so large compared to the old one. Because I had to take all the books out of the book cases in the living room and hall we had no bed to sleep in last night. Stanely Steamer recommended that we do not load the book cases until we remove the block underneath. That depends on how fast the carpet drys. Tonight I will replace the books after we remove the blocks from under the book case and then we can sleep in our own bed. The new couch is quite comfortable, but it is not going to become a regular thing!
The new dining room table will be picked up this weekend on Saturday or Sunday. No more card table to dine on! Hooray.
I am laying down the law to myself and DH that we will not dump anything in the living room or dining room and that they are to be kept neat at all times. Also, the frequency of dusting and vacuuming will be more often to keep it all clean! This is my new year’s resolution in July. LOL.
After I get one more room into my austerity program I will start on my sewing room /studio remodeling. I cannot wait, but have made a promise to myself that there are priorities and the studio comes second!
Have a nice day, Karen
I finally gave in and ordered the value lenses and Karen's diamond template to work on my homework in this class. I cannot wait for them to arrive.
On the home front we got everything out the dining room, living room and hall and had Stanley Steamer come in and clean the carpets. They look almost new except for the few stains that could not be removed. I am going to wait until the carpet is totally dry and try Oxi-Clean in a concentrated form and see if I can get out more.
The new couch was delivered yesterday evening and it looks so large compared to the old one. Because I had to take all the books out of the book cases in the living room and hall we had no bed to sleep in last night. Stanely Steamer recommended that we do not load the book cases until we remove the block underneath. That depends on how fast the carpet drys. Tonight I will replace the books after we remove the blocks from under the book case and then we can sleep in our own bed. The new couch is quite comfortable, but it is not going to become a regular thing!
The new dining room table will be picked up this weekend on Saturday or Sunday. No more card table to dine on! Hooray.
I am laying down the law to myself and DH that we will not dump anything in the living room or dining room and that they are to be kept neat at all times. Also, the frequency of dusting and vacuuming will be more often to keep it all clean! This is my new year’s resolution in July. LOL.
After I get one more room into my austerity program I will start on my sewing room /studio remodeling. I cannot wait, but have made a promise to myself that there are priorities and the studio comes second!
Have a nice day, Karen
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Progress not Perfection
Last Saturday was the first day of my Quilt University class Patchwork Illusions with Karen Combs. I purchased some fabric from my local box store (Walmart) on Saturday with the intention of combining it with my stash.
Monday evening I took the time to lay out the fabrics by color and then light to dark. When I was finished I had almost 60 fabrics. They were all layed out so neatly and then I couldn't find my digital camera! LOL? So I put my fabric carefully away. Tonight is laundry and camera search. No reading! No quilting! No piecing! What a bore, but got to get it done. DH is down to his last pair of tidy whites and complaining. I don't blame him at all.
Have a great day, Karen
Monday evening I took the time to lay out the fabrics by color and then light to dark. When I was finished I had almost 60 fabrics. They were all layed out so neatly and then I couldn't find my digital camera! LOL? So I put my fabric carefully away. Tonight is laundry and camera search. No reading! No quilting! No piecing! What a bore, but got to get it done. DH is down to his last pair of tidy whites and complaining. I don't blame him at all.
Have a great day, Karen
Monday, June 30, 2008
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
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
Monday, June 23, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
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
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
Friday, June 13, 2008
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
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
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