I.LOVE.IT.

Pattern: Merry-Go-Round by Sandy Klop as found in the McCall's Quilting magazine. 

I.LOVE.IT.

Pattern: Merry-Go-Round by Sandy Klop as found in the McCall's Quilting magazine. 

Now is one of those times where I wish I had a design wall. Alas, a floor will have to do, however,  that will have to wait until next week. Today I am going to work on my Bowls With Borders blog hop project. It's almost done and I am anxious to see it completed. =) 

Tomorrow Russ and I are going on a bike ride with some friends from our church. I can't wait!

Have a great weekend, everyone. =D

Now is one of those times where I wish I had a design wall. Alas, a floor will have to do, however,  that will have to wait until next week. Today I am going to work on my Bowls With Borders blog hop project. It's almost done and I am anxious to see it completed. =) 

Tomorrow Russ and I are going on a bike ride with some friends from our church. I can't wait!

Have a great weekend, everyone. =D

I did it again...

Not as bad as last time and for that,  I am very grateful! 

I did it again...

Not as bad as last time and for that,  I am very grateful! 

Isn't it nice....

...when a project goes together smoothly? Mine is going to gather very feel so far. *whew* I was stressing there for a while. That first cut is so scary! 

I couldn't resist a peek at how the hexagons will look when they are all put together. 

It's steamy hot in Iowa today with expected highs to be 105°. I'm staying in and sewing today. The teenager can go to the post office to mail out the giveaway prizes. He likes driving anyway. ;-) 

...when a project goes together smoothly? Mine is going to gather very feel so far. *whew* I was stressing there for a while. That first cut is so scary! 

I couldn't resist a peek at how the hexagons will look when they are all put together. 

It's steamy hot in Iowa today with expected highs to be 105°. I'm staying in and sewing today. The teenager can go to the post office to mail out the giveaway prizes. He likes driving anyway. ;-) 

I am going to start this quilt today. 

What are your plans? 

I am going to start this quilt today. 

What are your plans? 

We had a great weekend visiting our granddaughter. =)

I scored huge grandma points by giving Brooklyn two giant bags of marshmallows, the same kind you get in cereal, but without the cereal. {Yeah, baby....}

We spent time in Sioux Falls, SD at Falls Park. 

Grandpa Russ and his girl...

Grandma's girl...

The Blue Angels were performing at an air show in town and flew right over our heads several times. It was awesome!

We toured the Sertoma Butterfly House and Marine Cove.  

I have to admit, what scored some big points with me was the fact that one of the nicest quilt shops I have ever had the privilege to shop in happens to be less than a block away from Brooklyn's house!! I am not kidding!!

Crafty Corner Quilt and Sewing Shoppe will be seeing a lot of me in the future. I was treated like a queen. =) Make sure you check out their web site. The place was huge, with a huge clearance section and the ladies that work there were so, so nice. They told me about another quilt shop I must go see next time we head their way. I was impressed that they were willing to talk up another store. 

I hope you all had a great weekend, too! 

We had a great weekend visiting our granddaughter. =)

I scored huge grandma points by giving Brooklyn two giant bags of marshmallows, the same kind you get in cereal, but without the cereal. {Yeah, baby....}

We spent time in Sioux Falls, SD at Falls Park. 

Grandpa Russ and his girl...

Grandma's girl...

The Blue Angels were performing at an air show in town and flew right over our heads several times. It was awesome!

We toured the Sertoma Butterfly House and Marine Cove.  

I have to admit, what scored some big points with me was the fact that one of the nicest quilt shops I have ever had the privilege to shop in happens to be less than a block away from Brooklyn's house!! I am not kidding!!

Crafty Corner Quilt and Sewing Shoppe will be seeing a lot of me in the future. I was treated like a queen. =) Make sure you check out their web site. The place was huge, with a huge clearance section and the ladies that work there were so, so nice. They told me about another quilt shop I must go see next time we head their way. I was impressed that they were willing to talk up another store. 

I hope you all had a great weekend, too! 

Actually, we have TWO winners.  =D

Here is why...

My post shows that I have 39 comments so that is what I used in the number generator. When I went to count to see who the winner was, I realized one comment had been deleted which meant I only had 38 comments. 

Is anyone else's life this complicated???

So I decided to have TWO WINNERS.

And they each get an extra fat quarter to boot. 

Oh, I guess I should say who the winners are...

Thanks for playing along with my giveaway, everyone. =) 

Actually, we have TWO winners.  =D

Here is why...

My post shows that I have 39 comments so that is what I used in the number generator. When I went to count to see who the winner was, I realized one comment had been deleted which meant I only had 38 comments. 

Is anyone else's life this complicated???

So I decided to have TWO WINNERS.

And they each get an extra fat quarter to boot. 

Oh, I guess I should say who the winners are...

Thanks for playing along with my giveaway, everyone. =) 

Vintage Modern

 I have been wanting Vintage Modern by Bonnie and Camille since before it was released. It mixes and matches well with Bonnie and Camille's earlier lines, Bliss and Ruby. One of these days I need to stop hoarding open up them all up and make something...Several somethings! 

The truth is, I wasn't going to buy any of this line. I'm trying not to buy more fabric when I have fabric in my closet waiting to be used and I just bought Flea Market Fancy. I have more than enough to keep me busy for a long while. I don't want to be greedy. 

But then...a sale happened...

A sale at Burgundy Buttons, one of my favorite shops, no less. The sale sent me over the edge and I bought it. They were less than $24 each! That was a deal I couldn't refuse. =) 

Right now, Leah has a Christmas in July sale going on until the 31st. When I am looking for a particular fabric, her shop is one of the first ones I check. 

I guess, while I am at it, I'll share the other places where I like to get my fabric. 

 Green Fairy Quilts: They have great prices on the precuts, including pre-orders for lines coming out and they now carry Riley Blake fabric lines, too. =)  Etsy and Fabric.com are two other great places to find fabric at good prices. 

Of course, I support my local quilt shop, as well.

Where do you like to buy your fabric? On line or at your local quilt shop or both? Do you have favorite on line stores where you like to shop? Please share! 

*disclaimer...Do I need to write one?....I was not paid or compensated in any way for writing this post. Although, if any of them wanted to send me a surprise, I wouldn't refuse. ;-) 

I'll be back with a new post with the name of my give away winner. =) 

 I have been wanting Vintage Modern by Bonnie and Camille since before it was released. It mixes and matches well with Bonnie and Camille's earlier lines, Bliss and Ruby. One of these days I need to stop hoarding open up them all up and make something...Several somethings! 

The truth is, I wasn't going to buy any of this line. I'm trying not to buy more fabric when I have fabric in my closet waiting to be used and I just bought Flea Market Fancy. I have more than enough to keep me busy for a long while. I don't want to be greedy. 

But then...a sale happened...

A sale at Burgundy Buttons, one of my favorite shops, no less. The sale sent me over the edge and I bought it. They were less than $24 each! That was a deal I couldn't refuse. =) 

Right now, Leah has a Christmas in July sale going on until the 31st. When I am looking for a particular fabric, her shop is one of the first ones I check. 

I guess, while I am at it, I'll share the other places where I like to get my fabric. 

 Green Fairy Quilts: They have great prices on the precuts, including pre-orders for lines coming out and they now carry Riley Blake fabric lines, too. =)  Etsy and Fabric.com are two other great places to find fabric at good prices. 

Of course, I support my local quilt shop, as well.

Where do you like to buy your fabric? On line or at your local quilt shop or both? Do you have favorite on line stores where you like to shop? Please share! 

*disclaimer...Do I need to write one?....I was not paid or compensated in any way for writing this post. Although, if any of them wanted to send me a surprise, I wouldn't refuse. ;-) 

I'll be back with a new post with the name of my give away winner. =) 

Lisa @ Mom So Blessed asked me if I would share what machine I use to quilt with and the other tools I like to use in my sewing room. 

Sure! Why not! Besides, I like knowing what other people use and why, as well. =) 

My very favorite and the most important thing in my room is my Juki 98Q. 

I adore this machine!! 

She (all of a sudden "it" became a "she"...) does one stitch, a straight stitch and it does it to perfection. I rarely have to touch the tension knob.

 She is fast! Up to 1500 stitches per minute. I don't often take her to that speed, but I do find my self annoyed at other sewing machines that aren't going fast enough, so I must take her more to the limit than I think I do. 

She is sturdy. Made of metal and not a lot of plastic. Maintenance is a breeze. Oil her once in a while and clean to the lint. Easy peasy....

She is large enough to handle the biggest quilts. The area right of the needle is 6" x 9". Plenty of room to manouver a large quilt, and I have. Many times. 

In the two years I have owned her, I have never had any trouble what so ever. 

Two things here. The Pin Place magnetic holder and my favorite tweezers. I use the tweezers to pull the bobbin thread up to the top of my quilt when I am quilting and the Pin Place keeps me from losing it. I got the tweezers at Joann Fabrics. The Pin Place I found on line. Just give it a Google. 

This thread cutter I bought at Nolting's. When I am chain piecing, it's faster, handier and easier to use this to cut all the threads between the pieces than to use scissors. It came with a double stick tape to attach it to the machine, but I found it wasn't strong enough, so I attached it with a small piece of a Command Strip. It's not going anywhere any time soon. 

Machingers. Best quilting gloves ever, in my opinion. They don't stay clean long, but that doesn't affect the performance at all. =) 

Famore scissors.  The smaller 5" pair of scissors I won in the Quilter Wantobe Campaign last summer. Oh, how I ❤ these scissors. They cut like a hot knife through butter. I loved them so much, I asked for a 8" pair for cutting fabric for my birthday last year. They do not disappoint. I have a few more Famore scissors on my wish list. =) 

For pressing, I use one of two vintage irons I found thrifting. I own a Rowenta iron and it is very nice, however, once I started using these smaller vintage travel irons, the Rowenta stays put away. These babies get hot and they don't weigh a ton. 

 I bought the Polder Iron Cord Holder over 2 1/2 years ago and I have never regretted it. I will replace it if something should happen to this one. 

Several years ago, Russ made me a large pressing board to fit over an ironing board. When I found my pink cabinet, the pressing board found a new home. Originally I stapled the cover to the board, but after replacing the cover a couple of times because of the staining the starch causes, I no longer staple the cover on. Now I can wash the cover when needed and when it gets too stained for my liking, I toss it and make a new one. 

I hope this was helpful and somewhat informative. 

I would love to know what your favorite machines and tools are that you like to use. 

Happy sewing!

Lisa @ Mom So Blessed asked me if I would share what machine I use to quilt with and the other tools I like to use in my sewing room. 

Sure! Why not! Besides, I like knowing what other people use and why, as well. =) 

My very favorite and the most important thing in my room is my Juki 98Q. 

I adore this machine!! 

She (all of a sudden "it" became a "she"...) does one stitch, a straight stitch and it does it to perfection. I rarely have to touch the tension knob.

 She is fast! Up to 1500 stitches per minute. I don't often take her to that speed, but I do find my self annoyed at other sewing machines that aren't going fast enough, so I must take her more to the limit than I think I do. 

She is sturdy. Made of metal and not a lot of plastic. Maintenance is a breeze. Oil her once in a while and clean to the lint. Easy peasy....

She is large enough to handle the biggest quilts. The area right of the needle is 6" x 9". Plenty of room to manouver a large quilt, and I have. Many times. 

In the two years I have owned her, I have never had any trouble what so ever. 

Two things here. The Pin Place magnetic holder and my favorite tweezers. I use the tweezers to pull the bobbin thread up to the top of my quilt when I am quilting and the Pin Place keeps me from losing it. I got the tweezers at Joann Fabrics. The Pin Place I found on line. Just give it a Google. 

This thread cutter I bought at Nolting's. When I am chain piecing, it's faster, handier and easier to use this to cut all the threads between the pieces than to use scissors. It came with a double stick tape to attach it to the machine, but I found it wasn't strong enough, so I attached it with a small piece of a Command Strip. It's not going anywhere any time soon. 

Machingers. Best quilting gloves ever, in my opinion. They don't stay clean long, but that doesn't affect the performance at all. =) 

Famore scissors.  The smaller 5" pair of scissors I won in the Quilter Wantobe Campaign last summer. Oh, how I ❤ these scissors. They cut like a hot knife through butter. I loved them so much, I asked for a 8" pair for cutting fabric for my birthday last year. They do not disappoint. I have a few more Famore scissors on my wish list. =) 

For pressing, I use one of two vintage irons I found thrifting. I own a Rowenta iron and it is very nice, however, once I started using these smaller vintage travel irons, the Rowenta stays put away. These babies get hot and they don't weigh a ton. 

 I bought the Polder Iron Cord Holder over 2 1/2 years ago and I have never regretted it. I will replace it if something should happen to this one. 

Several years ago, Russ made me a large pressing board to fit over an ironing board. When I found my pink cabinet, the pressing board found a new home. Originally I stapled the cover to the board, but after replacing the cover a couple of times because of the staining the starch causes, I no longer staple the cover on. Now I can wash the cover when needed and when it gets too stained for my liking, I toss it and make a new one. 

I hope this was helpful and somewhat informative. 

I would love to know what your favorite machines and tools are that you like to use. 

Happy sewing!

For weeks, all this quilt needed was the binding. What held me up was I wanted to make the edges of the quilt wavy with gentle curves. I agonized over how to do it for hours and days and weeks. Yesterday I decided my boarders weren't wide enough, and because it's a gift, messing it up was not an option! I settled for rounded corners, which I really love. 

I think the Swoon block is a difficult block to quilt without using a long arm or without expert (i.e.: better than me) free motion quilting. I have seen some fabulously quilted Swoon quilts on line, all of which the quilting is way too advanced for little ol' me. I'm glad the straight line quilting looks just fine on this little lady.  

I did some dense straight line quilting in the sashing. I think it gives the look of the quilt a little more something-something. 

The bride has been patiently waiting for me to get it done. I can't wait to give it to her! 

Once again, I forgot to put a label on it. I am so bad at not doing that. 

Do you label all your quilts or just certain ones? Do I dare admit one reason I don't is because I fear my quilts will end up at a Goodwill? I always feel sorry for the people who lovingly make quilts, slap a label on them and then they get sent to Goodwill. It makes me sad...

Well, on that happy note. ;-) Have a great week! =D

For weeks, all this quilt needed was the binding. What held me up was I wanted to make the edges of the quilt wavy with gentle curves. I agonized over how to do it for hours and days and weeks. Yesterday I decided my boarders weren't wide enough, and because it's a gift, messing it up was not an option! I settled for rounded corners, which I really love. 

I think the Swoon block is a difficult block to quilt without using a long arm or without expert (i.e.: better than me) free motion quilting. I have seen some fabulously quilted Swoon quilts on line, all of which the quilting is way too advanced for little ol' me. I'm glad the straight line quilting looks just fine on this little lady.  

I did some dense straight line quilting in the sashing. I think it gives the look of the quilt a little more something-something. 

The bride has been patiently waiting for me to get it done. I can't wait to give it to her! 

Once again, I forgot to put a label on it. I am so bad at not doing that. 

Do you label all your quilts or just certain ones? Do I dare admit one reason I don't is because I fear my quilts will end up at a Goodwill? I always feel sorry for the people who lovingly make quilts, slap a label on them and then they get sent to Goodwill. It makes me sad...

Well, on that happy note. ;-) Have a great week! =D

A new sheep. I love her sweet face. 

The start of my Granny's. 

 We are having another heat wave here in Iowa. I am not complaining. I love summer and the heat. =)

I must finish Brooklyn's dress this week and seriously get a quilt binding on a quilt that has been staring at me for weeks. I keep finding excuses to avoid it. 

What are on your plans for the week? 

A new sheep. I love her sweet face. 

The start of my Granny's. 

 We are having another heat wave here in Iowa. I am not complaining. I love summer and the heat. =)

I must finish Brooklyn's dress this week and seriously get a quilt binding on a quilt that has been staring at me for weeks. I keep finding excuses to avoid it. 

What are on your plans for the week? 

Have you seen Pink Penguin's lunch bag tutorial? It's one of my favorites! After I made my lamb bag, I knew I had to make another one just a little bit larger for take along sewing projects. 

What do you think??

I added a zippered pocket in the lining to keep my needles, thimble and other small stuff. 

I ended up adding 3" to the height and width. It's a perfect size at 15" wide at the top, 10" wide at the bottom, 11" tall, and 5 1/2" deep. 

 This has nothing to do with the bag, but I wanted to show you these pretty zippers I bought yesterday on our motorcycle ride. Aren't the colors great!? I don't have any projects in mind. I just had to have them for "just in case." 

Have you seen Pink Penguin's lunch bag tutorial? It's one of my favorites! After I made my lamb bag, I knew I had to make another one just a little bit larger for take along sewing projects. 

What do you think??

I added a zippered pocket in the lining to keep my needles, thimble and other small stuff. 

I ended up adding 3" to the height and width. It's a perfect size at 15" wide at the top, 10" wide at the bottom, 11" tall, and 5 1/2" deep. 

 This has nothing to do with the bag, but I wanted to show you these pretty zippers I bought yesterday on our motorcycle ride. Aren't the colors great!? I don't have any projects in mind. I just had to have them for "just in case."