Back in Business-or Out of It

When I was a potter years ago-I wasn't content to just make things for myself and friends, I had to take the Potter's Clay to all the juried and non-juried venues from San Diego to Nevada. Before that my friend and I made silk screened onesies in tie dye that we took to various shops.  I started an ETSY business as soon as I retired (now closed) and thought I would do the craft show circuit again and quickly realized I just don't want to make things in bulk to sell.  Lastly, While I still worked as a counselor, my friend, Ginny and I started College Application Process Made Easy (CAPME) and had summer and fall workshops for the last four years. Today we will close the bank account and fold up our awning.  It was a lot of fun working with Ginny and we provided a good service and I am proud of what we accomplished but I am really glad to be done with ALL marketing and business.  I really just want to quilt, hopefully teach classes and inspire others to make beautiful things. Today is a milestone.

While my computer was resting, I did work on a couple of things.  The Dear Jane workshop on Saturday produced 2 paper pieced 5" squares.

These are from the outside row that are all Black and tan

This is my plan diagram showing blocks done and color coding.  This may or may not work-we'll see.  In the meantime I am enjoying the process and am learning much about accuracy.

Speaking of accuracy-I finished block 4 in the Aiming for Accuracy quilt along.  This is my favorite so far.  It has been interesting to see all the different interpretations of this pattern from all over the world. Liking it so far.

Block 4 with sashing

This is how they relate to each other in the quilt-going to have to add pink somewhere else to keep that pinwheel block from screaming"PINK" so loudly:)

Yesterday I worked on curtains for Sloanie's room.  Need to stop at JoAnn's today and get some 1"ribbon to complete the yellow shade that will hang under the pleated top-also need to complete pleated top-then start on Ava's.  I was hoping to have it all done today-again I underestimated the time it takes to complete a project:(

Sloanie's curtain

Lastly but certainly the MOST fun-we had breakfast on our back patio with Bev and Dale-our good friends and partners in the Care Ministry at our church, Calvary Chapel.  We meet every 2 weeks to discuss the needs-and we manage to have a little fun in the process-sure going to miss these guys when we move-however, they just bought a new motorhome so they can come to Medford and we can go CAMPING with them.

Hmm . . guess who like waffles. . .

Bev just can't help herself-she must have clown genes:)

Computer is down

Home Sweet Home Progress

Setting up the embroidery machine, figuring out dimensions for multiple hoopings and changing the pattern on Home Sweet Home has caused me to put off doing the outside borders.  Today I resisted the urge to go take a nap and powered through 1 60 inch side border.  This is going to be our "Growing up San Diego" quilt so I embroidered one side with the 3 addresses where Greg grew up.  Got the swags glued on so now I have some evening hand work.  Took 6 hours to do the measuring and the embroidery.

There are different communities in San Diego but I stuck with "San Diego" for the ones within the San Diego City Limit

This is the right side border-I can't wait to get this done.  My deadline is the 3rd Wed in Sept.  but want it done before.  Wasn't sure what color thread I wanted but this ended up being perfect.

Focus!

I am going to Seattle mid August. I need to take 2 sets of curtains and a baby quilt.  I also need to finish Home Sweet Home and My Cow quilt by Mid September.  Lastly, the wedding tree is due back to the customer in a week or 2, so, I need to prioritize.  I finished the block for the quilt along (check out the Aim for Accuracy button on the right side of my blog) today-it is 21.5x21.5 and I might use the design for the baby quilt for Sloanie.

I don't love all the pink in it-but I do love that I am using up materials that were left over from Home Sweet Home.  Sashing was off a tiny bit but points were all on and it was exactly 21.5 and I didn't have to trim anything to get it that way.  Wendy Mathson's Dragonfly ruler is amazing.

Then I spent a few hours on "Your Love is Moosic to My Ears".  I got all the applique pieces stitched down and two of the borders attached-I need to put it away now until I finish the curtains, baby blanket, Wedding Tree and Home Sweet Home.

Still needs a lot of things added: Lamb needs face thread painted, hooves and a quilt shawl. Bull needs Harley jacket finished, WW11 bomber hat, nose, hay in mouth.  Then I need to add 2 corn stalks, 3 more notes, and somehow get the back tire in there-I'm seeing it!  Then, when that is done, I need to embroider the title and a verse on the last 2 borders.

I love those eyes!!!

Camp Watch-a-Patcher

Well I am happily back from camp. I was looking forward to going to a class taught by Mary Lou Weidman and I was not disappointed.  I learned a lot in my 2 days-about hoochy piecing and also about me.

Things I learned at camp:  I don't like crowds, I am basically shy in a new environment so it is hard for me to connect to others although I made a valiant attempt and met with some success, the organizers had no signs to help you find your way so I ended up in a line for theater tickets thinking all the while, "gee, I am really under dressed, and I could have brought my husband" because of all the elegantly dressed ladies and elderly men in the line with me,  camp food can be quite awful if you aren't fond of undercooked brussell sprouts and overcooked chicken with gummy rice, I was glad I slept off campus after hearing all the complaints about the sleeping arrangements.

On the positive side I learned quite a bit in the class itself and enjoyed the other ladies, I like the idea of not planning and using wild colors in hoochy blocks but I need to find a happy medium: semi-hoochy maybe.  I looked at the Cow quilt border blocks when I got home and they are more restrained than Mary Lou's and I liked them better and that is really alright.  I loved her work and will use many of her ideas and techniques but I would get tired very quickly of all the black backgrounds although I loved seeing them.  She does beautiful, incredibly imaginative work-but I don't want my things to look like a Mary Lou knockoff-I want them to be mine.  Also, I stayed with a couple in Huntington beach who were so kind and interesting.  They were a highlight in my trip.  Their home was lovely and I slept very very well.  I love being an Evergreen member-we have met the nicest people through that organization and Kathy and Phil were no exception.

So-some photos:

Start of class-everyone setting up

Mary Lou showing examples

I am not a big Halloween/witch fan-but this is a fun quilt

detail was amazing-lots of buttons, beads and charms sewn on

candy bucket is an example of the detail

someone else does her quilting-look at the stems!

New Mexico Quilt

Detail

more detail

 Mary lou was a great teacher.  i am not sure how she even focused as she had just gotten the news that her husband has terminal cancer about 2 weeks before the class. She is a really nice lady and I was very glad to have met her.

My blocks except cardinal that wasn't done at that point

 I went to M and L falbrics which was 13 miles away the day before class and picked up a celery green from Hoffman that does not show up really well in the pics.  this will be the border.  The middle will be a dark purple Kona or batik that will have pieces about my mom who is my artistic inspiration.  I have her oil paintings all over my home.  The binding will be the same dark purple.  Yay, another UFO!

other's blocks

Close up of flower and appliqued leaves on left

The leaves on the right were string pieced and then cut out and appliqued.  i liked those a lot. The flowers were a block we learned in class times 4.  Sally Collins would have NOT liked or approved of this class:)  I must be schizophrenic because I am looking forward to taking a Sally Collins class as well.  There is room for all styles in the quilting world.

Mary Lou and Me

On Monday night there was a trunk show with Joanna Figueroa- a totally different type from Mary Lou. Beautiful soft colored quilts in applique and pieced all on a cream colored background.  Joanna was born in Warsaw, Poland and is very funny.  I heard people talking about her class and thought it was very good.

My personal favorite!

I can see this in a pale batik yellow or turquoise or even cream with jewel tone stars-yes, a combo of Mary Lou and Joanne:) Really, I think that would be beautiful!

Exciting Weekend and Beginning of Week Coming Up

Yesterday was cleanup and rest day after the 4th of July party. Greg was getting in a little nap with Lizzy after taking all the tables and fold up chairs out to the barn:

This was our 13th and last 4th of July party and we have had a great time over the years.  I usually give prizes to the winners of the croquet matches but this year I gave all my unused leftover packs of paper plates, napkins and plasticware in a cute red, white and blue bucket to Chris and Brad who have been there every year-should be some benefit for faithfulness!

Greg and I, our neighbors, Sam and Frances, friends Steve and Candy, Chris and Bill

Pat and Howard (Greg's cousins), Wally who was 88 on the 4th and his SIL, Jim and my Greg

Two games were in progress-Steve was playing croquet and Lizzy was playing Frisbee

Julie was never sure if it was her turn or not!

Every game needs a referee-and that is Howard's job

We had 17 people and had a great time as always.

Yesterday I didn't even get dressed.  I stayed in my nightie, watched Netflix and sewed.  The second block instructions had come out for the Quilt along I am participating in (see the Aiming for Accuracy button on my sidebar) so i finished that.  It was an easy block so it didn't take long and it came out a perfect 15.5x 16.5.
I have been using a tool I have had but had never got around to using-a Dragonfly 1/2 and 1/4 square triangle cutter.  It tells you what size square to cut to get the proper triangle and then gives you the ability to drawsewing lines rather than the line down the middle.  It says you don't have to trim after and it is true-they come out perfectly.  Wendy Mathison designed the Dragonfly.

#2

#1 and #2

Dragonfly tool by Wendy Mathison

After the square, I worked on the last of the swags for the Home Sweet Home quilt-getting all 24 finished. So, when I get my Babylock back, I can go ahead and embroider the addresses on the borders and add the swags-still have the 4 corners to do-am waiting to see about the spacing since I have changed the dimensions.

24 border swags-six coordinated reds

Lastly, I worked on Cow Greg's eyes.  Greg has beautiful hazel eyes which was part of my original attraction to my sweet husband-so, I wanted the cow's (bull) eyes to be green and I wanted to make the sun glasses transparent so you could see his eyes underneath.  Have no idea if it will work but-hey-this is MY vision so I can attempt it!

Original sketch with round glasses and no eyes showing

New eyes with glasses all cut-16 pieces in all

material for eyes ironed on-Elton John glasses in place

All fabrics ironed on-we'll see if the illusion works-not seeing it yet:)

All in All a productive day!   Today I need to pack for my trip to Costa Mesa and Camp Watch-a-Patcher tomorrow, so, I don't think I will get any sewing done.  There is a meet and greet at 2-4 on Sunday which I am not sure now why I signed up for it-I am not usually comfortable in those situations. But I am taking an "Out of the Box" class so I should get out of my box. I skipped the "meet the Teachers" at 7 because I don't know my way around up there and I don't want to try to find it in the dark.  I will meet Mary Lou in class.

Before I go to the college, I am going to go to the sale at M and L fabrics.  They are like a warehouse with tons of flats at 2-2.95 a yd and they are having a 20% off sale.  Need a few pieces for my Mary Lou Weidman class.  I am staying with an Evergreen couple in Long Beach for two nights-I love Evergreen-it made this class doable-10.00 a night includes breakfast and is only 12 miles from the school.

Will write again on Wednesday-have a great first of the week!

Lots to Do

Getting ready for 20 people is never easy-and with this heat-even harder, but on the 4th I will be glad as always that we had this party.  I will make this post short as Greg and i need to clean the carpets before it is scalding out.  Greg used to sell and install carpet, hardwood floors, blinds and draperies in his business, Heavenly Carpets for 30 years.  He also cleaned carpets so he has this great machine that does a great job-but a lot harder to do at 68 than it was at 40-so, he calls in his trusty 65 year old sidekick and we "get er done".  That will wipe us out today-so, I will go into town afterwards and get the last of the ingredients for tomorrow.

Got to work on "Your Love" the last couple of days and got some things accomplished-hopefully will be able to get the corn stalks and the motorcycle wheel I added made and glued down on Friday.  I can't sew on it until I get my Babylock back the end of next week. I need to pack and get ready to leave on Sunday to go to M&L fabrics and then to Vanguard U. for the start of Camp Watch a Patcher and Mary Lou Weidman's much anticipated class.  Will be back on Tuesday night so won't post Sunday-Tuesday-but then I will have lots of pictures of the class.

The eyes and star glasses will be tricky as I want to show the eyes through the glasses-so that will mean multiple pieces but I like the challenge and it will make his eyes light up-they will be green like my husbands