Look if you dare!

How about I just quietly show you the yummies I carted home from New  York? 

I like to sew from my stash and I always have lots of trouble when I need larger pieces for backing.  Sooo, I was on the lookout for prints that look good in larger pieces. 

 

 

These pachyderms are 8 by 11 inches!  I got three yards, wheeeeee!

 



 

This print is from Kellie's (Don't Look Now) first fabric line, Rush Hour.  She has the most fantastic applique patterns. 

 

There's always room for Aneela Hooey fabrics!

 



 

More pretties that I couldn't pass up.

 



 

I have no idea what to do with this but it was too precious to pass up.





 

I love this New York City print!  I plan to put it smack dab on the back of something. I just don't think I can cut it up.

 



 

I made something today.  It's for a Wild Thread swap so I can't show it yet.  I really like it though and I want one for myself!  I also finished quilting and binding my Great Granny Quilt.  I don't have a picture yet but soon I promise.

Have a good Monday! 

 



Taking Manhattan!

Last weekend I went to New York City with my two great quilting pals, Janet and Chris.  Lots of fun and shopping.  We went to the fabulous Quilters Take Manhattan, a fundraiser for the Quilt Alliance.

How cute is this little packet of Mistyfuse that we got in our goody bags?  It has two yards in it, whoooeeeeee!

 

 

 

We got to see an interview with Denyse Schmidt by Megan Cox for the Q.S.O.S  project by the Quilt Alliance.  Check out the left side of this photo, doesn't Denyse look so chill and relaxed as she gets introduced by the irresistable Amy Milne? 
 

 

It was really fun and interesting to learn more about her.  She has done a lot of different things in her life and she is so so talented.  I love her quilts and fabrics.

 



 

There were some of the quilts from her newest book on display.  Seeing them up close was a real treat.

 



 

This one is the cover girl!  Isn't she pretty?

 





 

Try to look close at this quilting.  She used this design on several of the quilts and I love it.  In fact, I plan to copy it right away when I start quilting my Great Granny Quilt later today.

 



 

Hello Pickle Dish!  I love your background fabric.

 



 

Guess who else we got to meet?  Jennifer Chiaverini of Elm Creek novels fame.  First of all, I always pronounced her name Chee-a-ver-een-ee, but it's actually Shiv-er-een-ee.  Second of all, she is hilarious.  A very entertaining speaker.  She is up to 20 novels.  I know I've read a lot of them but I think I may have fallen behind.  Time to hit the library.

 



 

The Alliance has an annual quilt contest and auction as a fundraiser.  This year the theme was 'Home is where the Quilt is.'

Many of the entries were on display.  This was one of my absolute favorites. 

 



 

I just love goody bags.  It's so much fun to poke through them and see what's there.  We got 4 ten inch squares of Denyse Schmidt's new fabric line,  Chicoppee.  I love that gorgeous blue and lime print, it makes me drool.  And by the way, we went to two events so we got two goody bags.  That equals 8 squares of Chicoppee,  woot woot!

 



 

But wait, there's more.  Two big charm packs of gorgeous Cotton Couture solids.  The little squares on top were samples that were stapled onto Cherrywood postcards.  I am so in love with Cherrywood that even 2 inch squares are a big treat. 

 



 

We also got Aurifil thread in our bags.

 AND, there is a silent auction every year.  I love the challenge of bidding etc.  There were 2 sets of Spoonflower fabric designed by the Alliance with their logo on it.  I bid on both and won this one.  I like these colors but have to admit that the other set was prettier.  The same person was bidding against me for both sets and I finally just bid on one of them so she would let me have it.  She paid more for her set, hee hee.

 

There were also 3 sets of Cherrywood fabrics.  I was delirious with excitement and plopped some bids down on all of them.  The competition was fierce and the bids stacked up.  Then I had a revelation!  One of the sets had fat quarters AND 3 one yard pieces, the others only had fat quarters.  Big value difference and I won.  If you have ever seen (and felt) Cherrywood in person, then you know that this picture doesn't do it justice.  The colors are so rich and beautiful.  

 

In my last post I promised you a peek at the Stof fabrics I have.  Here you go, aren't they pretty?

 



 

I really love these fabrics and the pink is the best.  Of course I wish I had more of it.  After I show you all the goodies that I got at City Quilter while I was in New York, you will know why there is no more Stof in my near future.  I think I saw some smoke curling up off my credit card!  I will show you all of my goodies in my next post.

 



 

For now, I need to get to this.  My Great Granny has been sandwiched and pin basted for over a week and I need to start the quilting.  The Wild Threads are getting together tomorrow evening and we will be showing all of our 'grannies' and taking pictures. 

 



 

Maybe I'll take some sangria along to the Great Granny Quilt unveiling.  Sounds like a good idea doesn't it?

Until next time, peeps.  Adios!

Gift sewing on retreat!

I am a little late showing these but.......................... I finally got a little farther with one of my New Year's promises to myself.  I wanted to get some quilty/sewing gifts in the bank to cushion the holiday sweatshop panic that starts over here every November/December. 

Aprons!!  Five in the bank, whoop whoop!

 

Remember this tutorial I mentioned before?  It is so easy and is also Perfect for showing off  fun fabrics.  Who do you see down there, huh?

Lizzy House Castle Peeps in blue!

Aneela Hoey on the left!  

 

Check out this fun find below!  Alexander Henry, I believe it's called Flea Market.  I found it at JoAnn's.  Whaaaat?   Yessireee, I was minding my own business and piling my cart with juicy DS fabric bolts when I got confused and thought I had wandered into another quilt shop.  I'm no expert but I do think I can tell discount fabric from quality and this is soft as a feather.  And cute cute cute.  So at this point if anyone knows what is up with JoAnn's, let me know because I have always found them to be a great way to stock up on notions and such as well as bolster my stash. I know their fabric prices have gone through the roof but keep in mind all of the coupon action.  Now please don't go getting all up in arms about supporting the LQS and independent online shops.  I support the online shops plenty and love them.  There are 2 LQS within 30 minutes driving distance from me.  One doesn't have fabrics that I like to use and the other is well known for being snobby to customers they don't know.  I don't look for bad service and I am very forgiving for 'off' days but I have gone in there with a smile on my face more than once and felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman shopping in the fancy boutique.  

 

Anyway, check out the pink I put with the Alexander Henry fabric.  It's made by Stof and it's called Quilter's Basic Dusty Style.  I found some a year or so ago in blue, tan, and cream.  It has sprinkles of other colors in it and I salivate every time  I pull it out.  I almost cried when I used up all but some pitiful scraps of my blue.  But guess what!!  On our way to the Double O retreat, the Wild Threads always hit some quilt shops.  This time we went to Wilson's in Hagerstown.   OMG!  I found this pink Stof on the shelf.  The ladies in that shop are SO nice.  Seriously,  they are awesome.  They make a point to know you.  One of them obviously heard one of my friends call me by name and when she called me Lisa, I was ready to hold hands and skip down the fabric aisles with her.  When my kids were little and we took them to the playground, my husband and I always told them to try to make a new friend.  And that's what I like to do at quilt shops.

So, back to my story.  I was clutching the pink and asked if they happened to have any of the blue.  My new friend said,  "I'll be right back Lisa."  She peeked in the back and came out with a brand new bolt.  She said it wasn't checked in yet but they would do it right away and bring it back.  Hmmmm,  I started thinking, do you, maybe, think you have any other colors?  Jackpot!  Two greens and more of the cream.  Praise be! I kept them busy in the back checking bolts in.   I will need to show them all to you soon.  There was also a maroon that I passed on and of course now I regret it.  Darn.

 



 

Above is a better view of the aprons in lovely DS.  I am officially out of the green floral on the left and it truly pains me.  I really love it.

Below is the apron that we gave to Colleen at Double O.  

 

Pure by Sweetwater.  And by the way,  we got more of these fabrics and others in that line while we were in Wilson's.  Some of the Wild Threads made a great runner for Colleen to match the apron.  She is such a sweetie, it's fun to surprise her with something.  

 

Wow,  I am such a name dropper.  It's from reading all the awesome blogs I have on my reader.  I feel like I have become so well-versed in what fabrics are available.  I don't think this is snooty, I mean to say that it makes it a little easier to find fabrics that I like sometimes because I know the designers that appeal to me.  When I got the Alexander Henry fabric above, I would have bought it if it had said 'Melvin's Factory' on it.  It was soft as butter and pretty and screamed 'Made just for Lisa'.  I only mentioned Alexander Henry because I never expected to find that brand in JoAnn's. 

I gotta wrap this up now because......I am heading to New York bright and early tomorrow for Quilter's Take Manhattan.  I need to go get a mani/pedi and grab a few things so I can get packed.  Cocktail party at Victoria Findlay Wolfe's loft tomorrow!  I'm so excited.

Bye bye!



Quilting with Great Granny.

In July  I saw this.  I thought it would be a fun quilt along and told the Wild Threads about it.  We are an informal bunch so I just forwarded the link and suggested that anyone who was interested or intrigued should play a little.  I have seen 'Granny square' quilt blocks and quilts all over the blogisphere for quite some time now.  These are fun because Lori from Bee in My Bonnet added a round, making these Great grannies.  The baby is in the center and is surrounded by a mommy, then a granny, and finally a great granny.  So fun to think of the rounds that way.

  Less than a month later, at the August Wild Thread gathering, at least 5 people had Great Granny quilt tops DONE!  And Annette even had hers quilted and bound.  Since then, she entered it in the state fair and it won a prize, zowee!   And mine?  I lagged behind a bit.  I had some blocks done but wanted to make more and seeing my friends' quilts got me motivated.  I got to work with my piles of 2 and a half inch squares.  The next day, after hours and hours of piddling around,  I sent the following email to my pals:

I just thought I would share with y'all the progress I made yesterday. I stayed up past midnight working on my GGQ (great granny quilt). I determined yesterday that I need to make at least 5 more if I set it on point. If I decide not to set it on point, I will need 9 (NINE) more!!!! Guess which way I'm leaning? So I ransacked the room, stacked the mini design boards, and got to work. This morning I am surveying the progress (damage). I have one block decided and laid out on its little board. I have 2 others waiting for a great granny to adopt them. Another is missing a mommy and a fifth needs a grandmom. The problem with the 5th one is that the mom and the great grandmom don't seem to get along well. I think they are giving each other the evil eye. I am hoping to find a sweet lil granny to bring peace to that household. However, as I look at it now, I am thinking that the baby is kind of a dud. Harsh words I know. Sooooooo, the reality of the whole dingity ding dong process is that SCRAPPY AIN'T EASY FOR ME!!!!!!!! And the final answer is.............. this GGQ is getting it's ass put ON POINT!!!!!!!

 

It is crazy how much time I can spend pondering how to make a scrappy quilt.  I persevered, however,  and got a total of 25 blocks done.

 

 

 I didn't fussy cut all of the baby squares but I did have fun with a few.

Perfect place for a little Heather Ross action don't you think?

 

This block was still in the deciding stage.  Needs a great granny.

 

Isn't it fun when you can start grouping your blocks together on the design wall?

 

 

This is how far I got on retreat this past weekend.  I decided these blocks looked better NOT on point.  I am not crazy about square quilts but couldn't bring myself to make five more blocks at this time.  So I went with simple sashing and no border and put the blocks 5 across and 5 down. 

 

 

 Hi fishie!

 

 

Love those scooters from Aneela Hooey.

 

 

Since the quilt is square, I just made a giant 4 patch for the back.  I really love these bright and cheery DS fabrics.  It hurt a little to use up the last of my green floral but I'll keep my eyes peeled and hopefully JoAnn's will get more soon. 

 

 

We had loads of fun on retreat and OMG did we have some good food.  By this weekend I plan to have this quilt sandwiched, basted, and the quilting begun!  I think some kind of all over design, unless someone has a better idea...........hint hint.