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

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.

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/05/19/stash-report-week-20-2013/

Beth

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.

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/05/12/stash-report-week-19-2013/

Beth

Stash Report

Used since last report:       5.00 yards
Used year to Date:            31.00 yards

Added since last report:     0.00 yards
Added Year to Date:          14.50 yards

Net Used for 2013:             16.50 yards

I completed my first String Diamonds quilt shown in the March 18th Design Wall Monday

( http://creativeb-designs.blogspot.com/2013/03/design-wall-monday.html ). It is currently on display at Country Caboose Quilt Shop in Wahkon, MN., but I forgot to take a picture before letting it go. When I get it back and quilt it, I will try to remember to take a photo. I do have a second String Diamond quilt started (picture below) and this one is much brighter then the first one. Hope to complete this one today or tomorrow. It is so much fun to see how dramatic the diamonds look. I AM HOOKED!!!  Would like to try one with white strips for a more summery look. The string strip pile has not been depleted but I do have to admit to adding to it but the pile has also been having babies over night!! LOL

We are expecting more snow tomorrow. I usually love the snow but April 21st and we still have a foot of snow with more on the way.  YUCK!!  

Well, that is all, so hop over to Patchwork Times to see what others are doing:

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/04/21/stash-report-week-16-2013/

Beth

Minnesota Spring???

How's this for enjoying the deck on a wonderful Minnesota Spring day? I am trying very hard not to complain about all the snow, but 14 inches on April 19th --- does get to be a little much. That is on top of all the snow we had on the ground before this latest snow.  Usually I love snow but --- WHINE, WHINE --- I AM READY FOR SPRING!!!  The silver lining is that we are not getting all of the rain and severe storms that are down south. I do feel for all of them.

So with all of the snowing, I have been sewing, sewing!!  The string quilt top from Design Wall Monday on  March 18th (http://creativeb-designs.blogspot.com/2013/03/design-wall-monday.html) has been completed and I have started a second one. The first one is on display at a local quilt shop and I forgot to take a photo of it before letting it go. DUH!!!  The second string quilt contains the blocks rejected from the first one. The rejected blocks have pink, floral, and other more feminine fabrics in them. Since I was dedicating the quilt for the Eagles Healing Nest which houses predominately men, I wanted the first quilt to have a little more masculine look to it.

Our contemporary quilt group did a group project two years ago and the sixteen pieces included in the project have finally come home 
(http://creativeb-designs.blogspot.com/2012/03/quilt-show-in-korea.html). I was very happy with the way my piece turned out because I was able to try several different techniques.

My piece looks a lot like the current snowy view out the window, except that I do not have the river.

Well, enough WHINING for today. Hope this catches everyone else safe without bad storms or flooding.

Beth

Stash Report

Used since last report:        0.00 yards
Used year to Date:            26.00 yards

Added since last report:     2.00 yards
Added Year to Date:          14.50 yards

Net Used for 2013:             11.50 yards

Well, another week without a lot happening in the sewing room but did attend a couple of activities. 

On the first Tuesday of each month I attend machine embroidery club. There is always a lot of inspiration to be seen.  Wednesday was a meeting of the long-arm quilting group. I took my "Dotty Dresden Plate" quilt with me to solicit some quilting ideas.  There were several wonderful suggestions. We'll have to wait and see what I decide to do.

After the long-arm quilting meeting, I stopped at Millie P's (http://www.millieps.com/) in Anoka, MN. Wow, what a wonderful shop. It was so light and bright and had many fun projects and an awesome selection of fun fabrics. Guess, I will definitely have to stop there whenever possible.  Of course, I just had to add some Kaffe Fassett fabrics to my collection and a stripe!!  LOL  Stash enhancement did take place and I really do have some projects in mind for the Kaffe fabrics!  Course, I will just enjoy the eye candy and petting until they are used.

Well, that is all, so hop over to Patchwork Times to see what others are doing:

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/04/07/stash-report-week-14-2013/

Beth

Stash Report

Used since last report:        0.00 yards
Used year to Date:            26.00 yards

Added since last report:     1.50 yards
Added Year to Date:          12.50 yards

Net Used for 2013:             13.50 yards

Well, not a lot happening in my quilting room!!  Not even much to report regarding stash but have been enjoying all that others are doing.

Both my daughters and my son were home this weekend. Since we had bad weather the weekend of my birthday, they celebrated my birthday this weekend. It is always a joy when all of the children are home. Did miss Norm, the son-in-law.  It is always so much fun to tease him!!  LOL  What a wonderful weekend. 

Hop over and check out Patchwork Times to see what others are doing.

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/03/31/stash-report-week-13-2013/

Beth

Design Wall Monday

I have gotten seriously hooked on string quilts lately. The current string quilt I am working on is from MaryQuilts.com. The String Diamonds look so dramatic. The blocks are 8 x 11 inches (my blocks are a little bigger than the directions). It is always so amazing to me how these scrap quilts can utilize such a variety of fabrics and still look awesome. Do not want it too bright since I plan to send this to Eagle's Healing Nest where military veterans and family can go to help heal the invisible wounds of war.

Hopefully I will be able to get some more sewing done today. We have to have a new furnace installed today. Our other furnace quit on Thursday and we have been struggling to keep the main floor warm. Since we do have in-floor heat in the lower level and a gas fireplace on the main level, it has been tolerable. Should be back to normal by the end of the day. Can't have anything upsetting the sewing routine for too long!!! LOL

Hop over to Judy's Design Wall and see what others are doing:
http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/03/18/design-wall-march-18-2013/

Beth

Stash Report

Used since last report:        0.00 yards
Used year to Date:            26.00 yards

Added since last report:     5.50 yards
Added Year to Date:          11.00 yards

Net Used for 2013:              5.00 yards

I just had to do it!!  After all, it was a sale! I bought five yards of black Kona cotton. It was on sale for $4.95 per yard at Crafts Direct. It was tempting to buy other colors, but I did hold firm and only bought the black. (Do I get a gold star for that?)  Did buy 1/2 yard of dragonfly fabric so that I can make a gift for a good friend of mine who loves dragonflies. Thought that was a very good reason to purchase more fabric.  LOL  

Attended Featherweight club this week. One of the attendees, Sarah, had her challenge project (not due until August) almost completed. The challenge is to make a "disappearing 4-patch" quilt with only "solid" fabrics.  An example of the project is in the new magazine, "Quilty - Jan/Feb issue," by Mary Fons.  We can make our quilt any size, just can't use batiks or tone-on-tones. What part of not doing the project until the night before it is due, do some not understand??  After all, I am a regular member of procrastinators anonymous.  TeeHee

Currently, there is a mess in the studio. I am working on a string quilt and the strings are dumped out on the floor. Quite a few blocks have been completed but the pile of strings just does not seem to get any smaller. I just know they reproduce like rabbits over night. Plus, there are more strings piled on the sewing cabinet. Where do they all come from??

Hop over to Judy's Patchwork Times and see what others are doing:

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/03/17/stash-report-week-11-2013/

Beth

Stash Report

Used since last report:      12.50 yards
Used year to Date:            26.00 yards

Added since last report:     0.00 yards
Added Year to Date:           5.50 yards

Net Used for 2013:             20.50 yards

Okay -- So I have been procrastinating at sewing the last border on my "Dotty Dresden Plate" quilt. Also, it would be nice to report some yardage used.  Decided to just get the job done. On Monday, I worked putting the last border on and thought I would be done. Hummmm - Didn't work out that way!!!  When I laid the quilt out, it was like it had DIED!!! It was booooring!!!  BooHoo -- I didn't like my quilt anymore.... The edges just dropped off the face of the earth...   It was all washed out. The colors did not appear to be as vibrant.  

Well, guess it was time to get creative. I did not want to completely rip the border off, so I started trying out different options. Finally decided to add extra plates around the edges and another border of black fabric. That did it for me. Here is the finished top. I like it much better. It is 93.5" x 109.5". It grew with the addition of another border.  Now it just needs to get quilted. We'll see how long before that happens!! LOL

Make sure you hop over to Patchwork Times to see how others are doing:

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/03/10/stash-report-week-10-2013/

Beth

Stash Report and Stuff

Used since last report:         0.00 yards
Used year to Date:            13.50 yards

Added since last report:     0.00 yards
Added Year to Date:           5.50 yards

Net Used for 2013:              8.00 yards

No change to the stash report. Not sure if that is good or so-so!  Means I didn't finish anything that would help reduce the stash. February turned out to be a lost month. There are so many items I had planned to complete and didn't finish any.

I did attend the Machine Embroidery Retreat in February for five days at Grand Casino Mille Lacs, MN. Of course, it took the week before the retreat to organize and find everything that I needed to take. It was a good thing that we only live 30 miles from the retreat because when I was unpacking at the Casino, I was missing my main project bag with all the cut pieces for most of the projects. I would not be able to do a lot of the projects without it. Hubby had so nicely been helping me pack the vehicle and I did not notice the project bag was accidentally set back down in the sewing room and it did not get loaded when we were loading the vehicle. So it was left at home. A nice little round trip was necessary but at least I hadn't lost it.

We finished so many projects and I did not come home with so many UFO's like the last two years. Both Maureen (good friend) and I were so happy with what we accomplished. Finished a name tag and a snappy bag done with bobbin work besides the projects shown below. Two projects I did not do at all. We had a fun time and there were so many of us that know each other that a lot of visiting also took place. I may go next year. Depends on the projects

Flamingo embroidered on Pet Mesh Tote

Cowl fleece scarf with embroidered snowflakes

Embossed bath towel for my guest bathroom

One end of a cutwork placemat. Stabilizer is still on it.

Since watching Bonnie Hunter on QuiltCam (http://quiltville.blogspot.com/) with all her vintage machines, I decided to drag my Singer 99 (3/4 size head) with the Bentwood case out of the closet. I bought her on an auction for $25. Her birthday is 4/2/1931, so she is no youngster.  The pretty little girl needs to be cleaned and oiled. To sew with the machine it has a knee control lever that fits in the slot on the  bottom section of the case (lower right in the picture) in place of a foot pedal. Now I need to find a place to set her up so I can sew on her. Guess I will try to get my treadle machine up and running. The treadle needs a new belt and then I can try her out.

A week ago, my youngest daughter treated me to a stage show in Minneapolis called "Buckets and Tap Shoes" for my birthday. It was so much fun. The two main guys in the show tap danced and drummed on everything except a drum. It was amazing what they were able to do with buckets, pails, water glasses, plastic 55-gallon drums and metal pipes. They even were drumming on the floor.  The theater building the show was in had been saved from demolition and moved to its current location and then renovated.  Due to the smaller size of the audience area, it was such a wonderful friendly informal event. We visited with other attendees even though we didn't know anyone.

Make sure you hop over to Patchwork Times to see how others are doing:

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/03/03/stash-report-week-9-2013/

Beth

Stash Report

Used since last report:         0.00 yards
Used year to Date:            13.50 yards

Added since last report:     0.00 yards
Added Year to Date:           5.50 yards

Net Used for 2013:              8.00 yards

No change to the stash this week. I passed quilt shops by on my way home from Fargo, North Dakota, last Monday. Usually I like to stop in Perham, MN because it is one of my favorite quilt shops but I practiced will power and passed it by.  Kuddos to me!!!  LOL   Course part of it was that I still was recovering from a bad cold and just wanted to get home. That cold is still hanging on. BooHoo --

I have been trying to decide how to quilt the borders for a table runner that I have loaded on the frame but wasn't sure how I wanted to quilt it. Did find an idea on the internet last night. The table runner is another UFO that is years old. It was done in a mystery class that I taught for the local quilt shop. Have several of these type of UFOs in the pile. They will make good machine quilting practice pieces. I am considering the design shown below for the borders. Have been practicing drawing the design since last night so that I can free-motion quilt it. 

We are getting snow today in Minnesota. There is a little break in the heavy snow right now. Sometimes we can't see the trees out front with the heavy snow and wind. Good day to stay home, nice and cozy. Not as bad as out East. We expect to get about 12 inches where we live. It is so pretty! 

Check out Judy's Patchwork Times to see how others are doing:

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/02/10/stash-report-week-6-2013/

Beth

Get it Done - February

Well, I sure did not do a good job of "getting it done" in January. I am always thinking that I will accomplish more than do. I did manage to complete the top of Easy Street and I am very happy with the outcome. The black & white Nancy Crow project just did not inspire me in any way once I put it up on the design wall, so have decided to scrap it and do something else for my B&W challenge for Crossing Borders (contemporary art quilt group that I belong to). I just may work some of the components into the challenge. Who knows.

 

The Pine Tree table runner is on the quilting frame, but not quilted and bound. Also, I did not complete the Quilt of Valor quilt that I started. Brenda's quilt did not get machine quilted either. It is amazing how the month got away from me. Some things not on my list were completed. I cut squares for the postage stamp swap and sent them off in the mail. Finished piecing components for Blue Ridge Beauty and am now ready to piece the blocks. Blue Ridge Beauty is my group sew-in project because it is always ready for me to just grab and go with it.

 

January 2013 Get It Done:

 

· Machine quilt Brenda's quilt

· Complete Easy Street pieced top - Completed in January

· Piece and quilt the NY Sit & Sew QOV quilt

· Complete black & white Nancy Crow class project (this will fulfill my Crossing Borders challenge for January). - Scrapped this project

· Pine Tree table runner

February 2013 Get It Done: 

 

· Machine quilt Brenda's quilt

· Piece and quilt Quilt of Valor quilt (Counting this as two items)

· Pine Tree table runner quilted and bound

I will try not to over schedule myself so much in the future.

Hop over to Patchwork Times to see what others have decided to work on:

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/01/31/get-it-done-february/

Beth

 

Stash Report and Design Wall

Used since last report:         2.00 yards
Used year to Date:            13.50 yards

Added since last report:     4.00 yards
Added Year to Date:           5.50 yards

Net Used for 2013:              8.00 yards

I am a little late for the stash report but my nasty cold has me operating at "turtle speed" - SLOW!! My Hubby very generously shared his cold with me. Since it was also our 45th Anniversary on Sunday, it was a bit of a bummer that neither of us felt like going out for dinner.  

Usually I do not like to sew anything when I am feeling under the weather, because if it can be screwed up -- I can screw it up!  ;>D   I did manage to get the borders on Easy Street without any major mishaps. I worked on the borders during Quiltcam on Sunday. 

 A friend of mine likes to put a stripe in the border of all her more contemporary quilts and I liked the look so much, that this was a good opportunity to try the look. I did cut the stripe on the bias, so had to be very careful handling the strips. The purple was cut on the lengthwise grain (parallel to the selvage), so there would be no stretch and it would stabilize the bias strips. The border is also mitered to take full advantage of the stripe looking like it is turning the corner. The stripe fabric was even in my stash. I only had to buy the purple and bought enough to use for the binding as well. I really like how it turned out.

I decided to participate in the RSC13 this year and will use the "Basketweave star by The ADD Crafter" for my rainbow blocks (http://www.add-crafter.com/).  I intend to only do one point per month. By the end of the year I should have three complete blocks and can work it into either a table runner or small wall hanging. The points are paper pieced and the background will be a variety of white on black. The color for January is hot pink. Well -- I found out I do not have very much hot pink in the stash or scraps. Guess we will have to do something about that!!!

Last Monday, it was Sew-Sew Monday at a local quilt shop. We didn't have a very big turn out, as it was 15 degrees F. below zero here in Minnesota.  (We have gotten "wimpy" over the last four years.) LOL There is even one knitter that attended. The quilts hanging on the walls are always such welcome eye candy.

While pressing the Blue Ridge Beauty blocks I am working on, I had the opportunity to try out the "Mighty Travel Iron" by Dritz. It is more then cute!! It gets nice and hot and did a nice job of pressing my blocks. Water can be used in it but I used just a dry iron. Of course, I had to buy one of those little cuties. It doesn't count as an addition to the stash!!!  

Wednesday morning I am heading up to Fargo, ND, to house/dog sit for my daughter and her husband. So I am currently deciding what projects to work on while I am up there. Just think - my own private retreat. I plan to take some string quilt projects along, would like to start "Talking Turkey" from Bonnie Hunters "String Fling."  May also take Blue Ridge Beauty along.

Check out Judy's Patchwork Times to see how others are doing:

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/01/27/stash-report-week-4-2013/

and

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/01/28/design-wall-january-28-2013/

Also, check out Scraphappy:

http://superscrappy.blogspot.com/2013/01/scraphappy-saturday-pink-roses-for-hope.html

Beth

Sunday Stash Report

Used since last report:       11.00 yards
Used year to Date:             11.50 yards

Added since last report:      0.00 yards
Added Year to Date:           1.50 yards

Net Used for 2013:             10.00 yards

Wow, I am in the Black----  ;>) I have decided to count the center of Easy Street, since it is completed and I have not decided on the border treatment yet. Will need to go shopping for a purple because I do not have enough of the purple fabric that I used in the pictures. I have a couple of options for a possible border treatment but not positive yet which I will use. Leaning towards the top option. The stripe will be cut on the bias which is a much more interesting treatment than if it was cut on the crosswise grain. All depends on the fabric I find for the main border. May decide to do a pieced border. Shopping is of course such a hardship!!!! LOL 

This week I spent time with Marilyn Bujalski, a fellow guild member.  Marilyn is in charge of our guild web page for St. Cloud Heritage Quilters, http://stcloudheritagequilters.com/. I am in training and will take over the web page in 2014. It is a fun way to learn my way around Wordpress. We learned so much and accomplished so much in one afternoon. She showed me around her studio (which was just tooooo neat for words). After our getting together, she is now enthused about doing more on her blog. Hope she does.

Marilyn makes fabulous quilts using one inch squares and counted cross stitch designs. See the following link for an article about her: http://www.thequiltermag.com/features/158/MarilynBujalski.shtml  She is in the process of writing a book showing her process for making the quilts. 

I am so slow about adding the last border to my Dotty Dresden Plate quilt. Was hoping to count the yardage for this weeks stash report.  I have been asked to teach a class and while I know how I am going to do the border, not sure how I am going to write good clear instructions for inserting the plates around the corner. Still thinking ---  (that can be dangerous)   ;>) 

Check out Judy's Patchwork Times to see how others are doing:

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2013/01/20/stash-report-week-3-2013/

Beth