Love Those Barbie Quilts

WOW....
The first Barbie Quilt is now officially done. The blocks were made during meetings of the Loving Hands Quilt Group using the "stack & slash" method. The members then assembled the tops. Terri quilted this one on her new quilting machine. This afternoon I attached the multicolored binding . I sewed it to the back edge then folded it to the front and used a wavy stitch pattern in pink to attach it. Since some of the fabrics are beach theme the stitching pattern sort of echoes the beach/water/wave action. It looks pretty good. It will bring a smile to some little girl in the shelter :) What do you think???

One down several more to go....kz

Where Was I???

Taking a class from a quilt or yarn shop is a great way to not only learn a skill, make a project, or find a new interest but enjoy the fellowship of other searchers... Yesterday I had the opportunity to take an Amy Butler purse class with a good friend and a couple of fellow strivers. Four students and a most capable teacher spent the day together making the colorful Bird Sling bag.

Okay, that was how it was supposed to be.... Some where after we cut all the pieces out, had lunch , and began sewing I veered from the path. Some how after hours of sewing and resewing I awoke to the realization that 3 of my four band pieces where attached upside down... and then if that were not enough one of the bands was even on the bottom of the bag lining rather then top. WHERE WAS I ?????? I must have taken the class as an opportunity to enjoy a mental vacation to the fullest extent possible :) After the shock wore off it was obvious that I had a golden opportunity to restitch my pieces, removing some faulty stitching that had taken place while the tension on my handcrank sewing machine was adjusting to a new silkier thread. I'd not planned on getting the bag done during but I sure would have been further along if my wits had been about me???? Where had they gone for all those hours?

All in all the class was a fun way to spend the day. The purse will be finished by the end of the week. I learned how to diagnoses and adjust the tension on my old Singer Spartan. I also got really good at unsewing....

I had a great deal of assistance in the unsewing process from the teacher and my friend Mari-Lynn. God Bless them :)

Oh, then if this were not enough when we got around to taking pictures during the class I discovered that the batteries were dead.... no pictures of the unsewing :(

Well, off to put new batteries in the camera....
Kz

Loving Hands star quilts

These two quilt tops are the results of the Quilting 101 course that participants have been enjoying. As you can tell not only was the fellowship good but the results have been spectacular. They are great looking quilt tops... now on to the next step! Terri and the other members of the Loving Hands quilt group have been great facilitators, the creative sparks have been set free.... kz

Anne's attachments

Strangers can be the most wonderful people....

While looking through the antique store in Bovey MN I had a brief meeting with a lovely lady from California, Anne. She'd noticed that I was looking at a set of old orphaned sewing machine attachments, we got to talking about my obsession with old/vintage/antique sewing machines and their related "stuff". She took my address promising to send a box of attachment to me. Oh, the delight when I opened the mail box a couple of days ago to find a package. ATTACHMENTS... aren't they the greatest. kz

Shop Hop Charms

Way back in the Spring several members of the Loving Hands quilt group did a sewing retreat in the mountains while participating in the shop hop. Each shop gave us a different charm. Miracle of miracles I've kept up with them. Last night I actually got them on a pin. kz

Edwina's Quilt arrives in NJ

Many years ago, I bartered with a friend... a quilt for a painting. I know I got the better deal in that arrangement. Edwina lives in NJ. She is much more punctual then I. My painting was a gift to my husband, it was received a thousand years ago. Now I must speak up for myself and say that I worked on Edwina's quilt every year... the 90+ appliquéd butterflies loomed heavy on my conscious... I'd work on it then put it away for far too long, get it out and work then put it away.... well, my resolve this year is to finish up all those long lingering projects and Edwina's was the first. My friend Ann quilted it on her long arm quilting machine because my shoulders and back hurt after just moving the quilt top around on the sewing table. Anyway.... the long awaited quilt went to Minnesota with me where I took several weeks to attach the binding. Mailed it off to Edwina the day before we left to come back to GA. You would not believe my surprise when the quilt arrived at my address and not her's. Seems while the postal person and I talked at the small country post office the meter stamp was forgotten. So it ended back here with me. Lucky for me I still had the stamped receipt showing the amount of postage I paid.

The quilt arrived in NJ today......... it probably sighed a big relief when it was released from it's box after about 3000 miles of traveling. Edwina's quilt was snuggle tested when a GA friend Mari-Lynn came to visit at the cabin, since she was freezing every evening she took the opportunity to test out the warmth of the quilt... seems to have been a success by the looks of the picture.

Miss Edwina, sorry that it took so many years for your part of the barter to arrive :) kz

quilt block turn-ins

Well, she asked for 4 and I am giving her 6 nine patch blocks to pick from.... hopefully Danielle will be able to use some of them. Here is a picture of one... purple is my favorite color so these were a pleasure to make, even after midnight. They are done and in the mail now.

This is almost fun

This could almost become fun...

Added to side of this page are two listings for quilt block exchanges that I am wrangling. One is for my church quilt group, Loving Hands Quilters. It is my habit to return from my summer Minnesota vacations with a fabric and details for a block exchange...the first year was outdoor fabric and the blocks had to have something to do with the state of MN. Summer 2007 our group was given a large number of Barbie Fabric far quarter bundles by Mr. Harris of the Fabric Outlet in "The Cities" (meaning the twin cities, Minneapolis/St. Paul) and we made enough blocks for several Barbie quilts that will be given to local charity causes. This year the fabric is loon theme and blocks are stars. When they are turned in I'll "try" to post pictures for you...

I am also a member of an on-line people powered sewing machine group called TreadleOn. This group not only collects and restores old treadle and handcrank machines but encourages us to use them. The Bobbin Lace Fabric Block Exchange is a very select block exchange within this group. Turns out that in the thousands of members in TreadleOn there are also a number of bobbin lacemakers. So follow this block exchange as it develops... pictures to follow.

Blogging Over...

So much has happened since beginning this blog.
What to do and what to share.
I've added a partial list of the projects in progress... (if you check there might be one with your name on it.) After posting the list I've remembered several other things that could be added, but how? If I can't die till my projects are done I'll be around forever!!! My husband and I had talked about a possible part time job once I get my projects under control, I think his time line was something like after the holidays....... at this rate I won't have to think about a PT job till I'm at least 90.

What am I doing here???

Good evening...

My friend Sonja will be shocked to see that I've finally taken the time to set up a blog. Of course, I did it while she is taking a long weekend break from life. She will faint and fall over when she sees this.

Since I am new at this, don't know what I am doing, and have not really decided what to do with this blog ... you'll have to suffer through it's development.

Kay