Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Bragging!!!

I just have to brag about my friend, Pam Goecke Dinndorf (Aardvark Quilts). Her new book, Colorific, has been released. Pam has such a unique color sense and her quilts are very distinctive. (Wow, she even mentions me under acknowledgements.)


It has been fun to watch Pam evolve over the years. When I first met her, she only had one small quilt shop pattern printed on a sheet of colored paper. Now I can walk into almost any shop that carries contemporary fabrics and see her patterns. 

Pam, Congratulations on your achievements!!!


Beth

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Stash Report


Used since last report:       7.00 yards
Used year to Date:            38.00 yards
Added since last report:     0.00 yards
Added Year to Date:          19.00 yards
Net Used for 2013:             19.00 yards

WooHoo!  No additions and another quilt top completed. I finally was able to complete the String Diamond quilt top. This was the second one I have done in the last couple of months. The border fabric was in the stash and I am sure it was bought on sale. Usually I buy big yardages when they are on sale for future projects.  Now I just need to start up the quilting machine and get some quilting done, so I am able to count more fabric used. 

I retired from working and teaching in a quilt shop three years ago. It has been a nice hiatus! In June I have agreed to start teaching again and I have to admit, I am rather excited about it. It is always so rewarding when people learn new things and they are so excited about it. It also serves to keep me learning. Now, I just need to remember not to take on too much. After all I am retired!!!! Right!! LOL

The Hummingbirds are back. I don't know how many are now coming but it must be a lot of them. Since I can see them out the window of my sewing room, I easily get distracted just watching them. I think I will also have to put up an Oriole feeder. One was sitting on the Hummingbird feeder and being rather noisy because he couldn't get anything. I think he was a little disgusted and he was letting me know!! LOL

This week I just have to go see the new "Star Trek" movie. Guess I will have to go by myself. I did get my daughters to see the last "new" Star Trek movie and they did enjoy it with all the new young actors in it. The original series came out when my husband and I were dating. Hubby would have to wait until after Star Trek to take me out on a Friday evening. What a hoot!! It is amazing how he has been patient enough to put up with me being a "Trekkie" but I have always been interested in new technologies. In fact, it is amazing that he was patient enough to wait until after the show was done to take me out at all!! Guess I was worth it!!! TeeHee 

Hope everyone has a great day!!

Make sure you hop over to Patchwork Times and see what others are doing.

Beth

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Stash Report & Gardening


Used since last report:       0.00 yards
Used year to Date:            31.00 yards
Added since last report:     4.50 yards
Added Year to Date:          19.00 yards
Net Used for 2013:             12.00 yards

Finished the center of my string diamond quilt, but need to add the borders yet. It just seems like I haven't had time to sew lately. Would like to start reporting some yardage used. 

Tuesday was my machine embroidery club meeting and then I had lunch with my friend Maureen. She lost her mother and has a lot on her plate, so it was nice to have some time to visit.

Thursday, my Featherweight Club met for shopping and lunch. I was not able to meet them at SR Harris in Minneapolis but did meet everyone for lunch and a visit to Millie P's Quilt Shop in Anoka. The lunch was fabulous at "Truffles & Dessert Cafe." The cafe has won awards for their sinfully delicious desserts. The soups, salads and quiche were great as well. There were eleven of us, so we put the poor cafe in a bind, but they survived all of us.





Fabric from Millie P's

I did purchase a pattern and some fabric at Millie P's. They were a "necessary" addition!!  Ya, Right!!!  LOL  The pattern will be a fun basket project that will use up some of my batting scraps and 2 1/2" strips. The shop is so light and bright and makes me smile.

A couple of ladies mentioned a quilt shop that I could stop at on my way home. It is a fairly new shop and I had never been there. It is called "The Noble Quilter" located in Elk River, MN.  Course, I found the cutest lady bug fabric that I just had to have. LOL

Two fabrics on left were purchased at Country Fabrics and Lady Bugs are from The Noble Quilter
My daughters came home on Thursday evening for the weekend and Mother's Day. We went to Brainerd on Friday and window shopped at some antique stores and had lunch at Christmas Point. (Are you seeing a trend of shopping and eating???) Again the lunch was good and they also have some wonderful desserts. What is nice with my girls, we order several desserts and share. Then we are able to try several different desserts. After lunch, I visited Country Fabrics and enhanced my stash some more with a couple of pieces of fabric. I am having fun petting my purchases.

On May 1st, I started my straw bale garden (http://strawbalegardens.com/). This is the first time that I have tried this type of gardening. Right now I am conditioning my ten bales of straw and hope to start planting by the end of the week. It has been so cold that the weather has slowed the process.  Supposedly, we could get to 90 degrees on Tuesday and the rest of the week will be in the seventies.

The week has been a fun week and I always enjoy when all my children are home. My son supplied steaks for Friday evening which we did on the grill, and then some pepper bacon for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. Food again!! LOL

Hope everyone has a great Sunday!!

Make sure you hop over to Patchwork Times and see what others are doing.


Beth