Odds and Ends

I’ve been a little bit distracted lately, not from quilting but from quilt blogging as evidenced by the time span between posts. I have a great excuse for not blogging – I was on vacation!!!!!

My husband, son, future daughter-in-law and I went on a cruise leaving from Fort Lauderdale, going to Key West, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios. We were celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary cruising the Caribbean with great weather and lots of fun. And absolutely no sewing, even though we did pass by a fabric store in Key West. They did not let me enter.

Key West Hand Print Fabrics

Even while cruising, some progress was being made back home – my die hard Pfaff sewing machine went in for service. As I’ve mentioned before, I had done some pretty heavy duty minkie sewing this year and this was long overdue. I’m happy to report that my Pfaff is back and like new! I did set up my little Janome Jem, another little die hard that I use for quilt retreats and classes, only 12 pounds and comes in very handy when your regular machine is out.

Prior to my trip and since my return, I’ve been working on all kinds of things, “Odds and Ends”. I’ve made a big push to get all the 2012 gifts finished but can’t really talk about those right now, just in case you, your child or maybe even future child is a recipient and you just happen to be reading this. The “must do”s” for 2012 are almost complete, just a few more hours on one last gift and then I’ll be free to work on “my own stuff” as I call it. And its almost time to for gardening, which definitely cuts into the sewing time.

In addition to the gifts, I also am participating in a challenge, finished up some bags, prepped more wool applique, attended a quilt show, started some proposals for classes to teach and the quilt groups started planning projects for 2013! Whew!!!!! That’s what I mean by odds and ends.

Snappy Bags

A word about the challenge, Edyta Sitar, Laundry Basket Quilts, has a new fabric line out, Over the Rainbow, which features Silhouettes, applique shapes that are ready to fuse. Great idea, beautiful fabrics and so easy to use. Edyta sent out a sample of Silhouettes to the first 100 people who responded to her challenge. I was lucky enough to get a package and created a pillow top, adding flying geese using the “fast flying geese” technique (more about that in a future post), fused the applique and did an invisible thread zig-zag . I’ll let you know what happens, it was fun to dig into my stash and create!

Finished Silhouette Challenge

So tell me, what projects have you been working on this spring? What are the summer plans? Mine happen to include having my own Quilt Show in the Garden.  But first . . . I have to get the garden!

Spring Cleaning

With the beautiful weather we are having in the midwest this week (80 degrees in MARCH!!!!), it’s great to be able to work in the sewing room and enjoy open windows and a nice breeze. My Sonny, (above) sitting in his fave spot at the window on top of the quilts, is happy that spring has arrived! This week I decided to tackle a little spring cleaning, just a little, and clean out the sewing closet. Its interesting to see what you’ll find when you clean the closet – I tend to just throw things or maybe pile things in there, to get them out of the way. Well, I’m happy to report, I have reorganized the closet, at least for now. Found: one quilt, ready for quilting, AND the backing. Also happy to report that I have pieced that very same backing and the quilt is ready to go to the quilter.

Next, I went through the stack of  kits, and re-stacked them, very neatly. And . . . found that there is an entire box of fabric scraps from Eleanor Burns‘ Magic Vine fabric line. I’ve already made two quilts from that line and think it’s time to part with this box. What to do with it? Give to my good friend, a new quilter, along with a great pattern for a mini. She’s gonna love it!

And in cleaning, I put together fabrics for 3 more must-do quilts, entirely from my stash. Can’t talk about them right now, as they are all for gifts to give this spring/summer.

Another positive to come out of spring cleaning is getting the sewing machine packed up and ready to go in for service. That’s a good thing to do for your sewing machine about once a year. I’m not saying I’m religious about taking mine in on a yearly basis but sometimes my machine tells me ITS TIME!!! Like now, after I’ve been working with minkee and all the fuzzies, the machine sounds like a Mack truck. So my little Janome Jem, my back-up machine is out on the table. This awesome little machine, and when I say little, I mean 12 lbs, just about the size of Sonny, is my go-to for quilt retreats and sewing groups and it is computerized. As I said, awesome little machine! My Pfaff will get a well-deserved break and my Janome will get a little work out.

I’ve also used the spring cleaning opportunity to take stock of supplies that I need because soon it will be time to garden and enjoy the summer, and then it’ll be time for the Fall Retreat. So I’m gonna replenish rotary blades and sewing machine needles since I seem to be out of 60mm blades and have only a handful of needles. The rule thumb for sewing machine needles is to change with each new project. How many of us actually do that?

 My spring cleaning helped re-organize and re-energize. It is so much easier to work in a clutter free room. Now, the challenge, to keep it that way. Happy Spring!