It's Been Awhile!

What a great visit we had! Fabric (and plans for said fabric), food, laughs and just being together. Always a special time for me! 

Just a warning....many pictures ahead.

 

Thanks so much for all your help pinning this beauty (if I do say so myself) to the wall. Your ability with color placement is the best! I am planning on making a few more hexies but right now they are at the bottom of my list.

 I've been trying to use my Year of the Dragon without your help and I'm still doing okay but it's not as much fun. This was the state of my sewing nook just a few days ago

I cleaned out the cabinet that you named "The Office" several years ago. I don't think I had opened that cabinet since you named it "The Office"! I found all kinds of things I didn't know I had! Because I hadn't opened that cabinet in so long it was easy to fill up a trash bag but I did keep the three bottles of spray starch I found adding to the three I already had.  Don't think I'll need to buy any for awhile!! After I got everything semi-organized  I decided to try a new ironing idea... This will allow me to get into those cabinets that are storing all those soon to be quilts and gives me more room in my crafty place.When I need a larger ironing board I can get it out.

Your subtle hint that I should start my Temecula BOM worked! Thanks. I'm adding a lot of pics because I can't figure out how to post the video clip I made...maybe next time

 

Looking forward to working on all of our QALs this year. Actually got my first block done for Peppermint Rose, although I think I'm going to need to rename it!

Next time you're in town could you teach me how to use Wonder Under?  I had the hardest time with it and needed you here.🤣

 

 Enough about me....I miss you!

 

 

Making Plans. Acquiring Fabric. And Cleaning Closets in the Year of the Dragon

 

This is the year of the Dragon. It also happens to be the symbol for Ann aka she was born in the year of the Dragon. We have both independently (well not completely independently - we do share a brain) determined that we are tired of dragging the stuff in our homes that we no longer use, was bought impulsively, or that we had plenty to spare...

Here's our to do list...

First we will do Sheri McConnell's block of the month - note it's February and I haven't started my blocks or even decided on a fabric. This is year long and only one block a month.

Peppermint Rose from the book Celebrate with Quilts by Susan Ache and Lissa Alexander

Winter Slumber - impulsively ordered while sitting at your dining room table, and turns out we actually like it. 

Christmas Eve Lap Quilt to finish our 2023 of Home for the Holidays

If we have time the WeatherVane quilt inspired by the APQ magazine featuring Joanna Figueroa. 

You've likely finished 1/2 of this list while I was typing it up #BohoHeartsQuilt. You inspire me every day!

April 2023 in February 2024

I am writing this, sitting in your dining room, we are eating a delicious snack of Pimento Cheese (Palmetto Cheese), it's February 2024, where has the time gone?  We have been sew busy sewing that we haven't written on this blog in quite some time. 

The year 2023 started off strong with the inspiration of Sherri McConnell and Chelsi Stratton's book Home for the Holidays, we would do the sew along for 2023 Christmas all year. We started with the Poinsettia quilt and then when you were her sewed our Mistletoe tops. Next up is the Amaryllis, I haven't started yet but I do have the fabric selected. 

I know that I am 'camera shy' however, we usually do a better job. We barely took any photos when you were here for your visit in April. And we should have taken photos with Baby G too. If only there was a convenient way to take photos that we had with us all the time. 

 

On the drive up to Santa Barbara, we accidentally stopped at a fabulous fabric store. Roxanne's in Carpinteria, California. I hate to go back there without you, but I just might have to. 

Here's what I bought at Roxanne's and what I made out of the fabric.  In the far left of the photo above of the store you can see the inspiration for this quilt. They sold the pattern in 2 sizes, I went small and I'm glad I did. I love how this quilt turned out - of course if I were to do it over again I'd change the fabric placement....

Luckily we went to Candy's in Northridge since the weather most of the time was not conducive to going outside. Or was it us that wanted to stay in? We did have a good time sewing and thanks to the rainy weather we got to stay inside a lot (and sew). 

On the left you can see Echo's legs hanging off the settee as he takes a nap after tiring of supervising our sewing.

Here is your beautiful Mistletoe Quilt from the book Home for the Holidays by Sheri McConnell and Chelsi Stratton. More to come on our year long challenge using their fabulously inspiring book!

Overall it was a lovely sewing retreat, the electricity did not fail us and when we had hit the wall, we ate and watched Suspects and laughed every time the police detective would start to run! I may be sitting in your dining room in Hilton Head, however as soon as I get back to California I'll be expecting you to make a reservation to come back to Montrose for our next sewing retreat!

Ketchup Time

I started to think that we needed a logo. I love the graphic we have of the fabric on the dashboard but it's so 1990's early 2000's for us. We need something updated and cool (like us). I went to a website to see what I might be able to create. These likely don't really fit our 'brand'. 

 Then I fooled around a bit more. Likely we need to work on this logo together. 

What do you think? 

Here are the Goods!

 

As you know, I have been on a 'fabric diet. I had not bought any fabric in January, February, March, April, or May of 2022. It is of course unusual since pretty much every month I 'need' something to fill my fabric shelves. I felt like I had so much and wasn't ever making a dent in it so I needed to sew using fabric I already had. What was I thinking? I mean fabric is joy. Well, needless to say I've started to make up for lost time. 

This is Echo, he looks a little judgmental here, as if he won't get any treats or toys if I continue to buy fabric. 

First stop on the what did Lauren purchase tour. 

I bought all of that Tula Pink Daydreamer fabric back in November, it's fabulous only I didn't know what to do with it. Wonder no more. I decided on the flowering snowball pattern from Ann Sandler of Stitch Supply Co. I'm going to use the green for the background (where the white is on the pattern) and either the pink or yellow for the centers. I plan to fussy cut the Daydreamer fabric for the petals/main prints. 

Just Because

Also Just Because

Maybe Echo has a point, he should be more worried that I'm going to replace him with fabric!

The Violet Quilt 

As you may recall my brother and sister in law moved last Fall. They also decided to get a bigger bed. My brother and sister in law (and niece) likely have more quilts made by me than my own children have. They appreciate them and are very receptive recipients. Bigger bed means they need a bigger quilt. I'm making this: 

The pattern only has options up to twin size so I got to do some math (I do love quilt math) in order to make this quilt in California King Size. See that mustard color in the corner of that block- yep I did not buy enough of it and my LQS is out, so I have put this aside until the mail carrier delivers a package from Fat Quarter Shop (scheduled to arrive today). I'm using the Anna Maria Horner fabric I ordered a few weeks ago and I've added some others too. 

and extras just in case

Sampler Spree

And this counts too because I had to buy something like 7 or 9 yards of a solid to complete this sew along quilt top. I was inspired by the color of linen napkins my mom had for probably 65 years. Over 100 six and a half inch blocks. You completed the top way before me. Oy. It does look really good though. See the dog hair from Echo on there? I have a monthly delivery of those super sticky rolls to get his fur off of my fabric. 

Kaffe

I bought 9 yards of the print and 7 yards of the shot cotton. Purchased without any purpose other than to make me happy. 

Ignoring Reality

And all of this is about ignoring reality that we aren't hanging out together this summer. Speaking on your behalf too, it's not our favorite thing to live so far apart. And this summer it just seemed like there were too many obstacles for us to be able to be in the same place at the same time. Reality is that the summer is kind of a bummer when we don't spend time together.  

Throwback to Summer of 2021

I finished the Business Quilt! I had the striped fabric already for the backing, I love it with it and used up leftover pieces on the back as well. I put a border on it and I really like the way it turned out. 

And a p.s. I finished another one of the Christmas tree quilts. Why I made 3 tops I have no idea. I must have been really on a sewing binder. I'm including this photo because it's important to review a photo before you give the quilt away and can't take another photo. Interesting shadow, I didn't mean for it to be in half shadow and half light!

 Staying home and quilting along from a long way away

Happy New Year!!

I was anxious to start this quilt along with you but needed to finish the 800  3 1/2" square in a square blocks that I was making for my quilt guild's mystery quilt. Okay so it wasn't 800, only 80 but it felt like 800. They're done!

I was surprised when I got the next clue this morning and found out I need to make 80 of this clue too! Making 80 of the same thing is not my favorite! Next time I tell you I'm making a mystery quilt please remind me of this one.

Yesterday I finally got a chance to pull out the fabric and directions for the Let's Stay Home Quilt that we both have. I even cut out all the fabric for the sawtooth stars. Oh, by the way, thanks for not outing the person who in a mid-afternoon "I need to buy something" accidentally purchased two kits. In my mind, I knew we would come to this place in time and do this together! Not really, but thanks for taking one off my hands!

Today I started working on the sawtooth stars and and between a lot of other things got one finished. I know it doesn't look finished but this is the only picture I took.

Tomorrow is another day and I'll probably finish the rest of the sawtooth stars, cut out and finish the rest of the quilt. You're not here so we can't race but I need to represent! 😂

Did I tell you that I got myself a yarn advent calendar for Christmas? It's this great idea where you get 24 mini-skeins of yarn and open one a day leading up to Christmas. This year the theme I chose was a Gilmore Girls Advent calendar. Each mini-skein has a quote from the series and the colorway is inspired by the quote, as in, "Oy with the poodles already!" Coffee bean flavored candles were also included.  I'll take a picture so you can see it in all it's glory...next time! 

I hope your new year has started in a positive way even with the omnicron floating around. Please take care of yourself! 💓

Oh yeah, thanks for doing all that research!

 

Let's Stay Home Quilt Along from a long way away

My very favorite way to sew is with Ann in the same room, or room adjacent - not just because I sew super fast when she is nearby - it's just way more fun to laugh while you are sewing. 

Photos: June 2021

Nonetheless, according to Google, we currently live this distance apart: 36 hr (2,457.9 mi) via I-40 E. Thirty-six hours doesn't sound so bad, except for stops and sleep and there's the pandemic...

We have done long distance Sew Along's before, sometimes we do a block of the month or other organized piece, and sometimes we decide on a pattern and sew it at the same time. This year we did a lot of research, well, one of us did a lot of research, and at the end of a Zoom discussion, we decided to do the Let's Stay Home kit. We both have the kit, I won't say why we both have it. This Riley Blake Designs' quilt features Fox Farm Fabric and Pattern by Melissa Mortenson. In my 40 plus years of making quilts and hundreds/thousands of projects I've made, I've never done a quilt kit before - and Ann is right, it's really fun! 

While I don't always love trimming, everything is so much easier to sew together when you do it!