UFO's

No, not the "Close Encouters of the Third Kind".  All my quilting friends know exactly what a UFO is . . . those UnFinished Objects.  How many are in your closet?  I'm not telling.  But, I did finish a couple from a quilting retreat I went to at Piece by Piece in FEBRUARY!!  Let's see . . . February, March -- yeah, seven months ago!!  I thought I should get them finished before starting two more projects at the retreat this weekend. 

TOO MANY SNAILS

Too Many Snails from the Hooked on Three Colors book was the first one I had done.  I love the look of this quilt and have never done the snail's trail block before.  I got that out of my system and probably won't make another snail's trail block again.  Why?  Trimming, trimming and more trimming.  Unless you mark each triangle you add perfectly to your block you have the inevitable trimming to make sure that this block stays square.  If you don't mind trimming, then by all means snail away!!  

This quilt is going to be set aside for a special friend for Christmas.  I'm not saying who in case my special friend reads this.  Could it be you????

MINUS ORANGE

Strange name for a quilt.  Let me explain.  This is a simple borgello quilt (sew strips of fabric together into rows; sew the bottom row to the top row, right sides together to make a tube; cut the tube into sections; use seam ripper to open tube and sew in order desired).  I had all my strips sewn together in sets and had cut all my sections.  I was happily sewing away when Kathy looked under the table and said "whose orange strip is this?"  Yes, it was mine.  Dropped it on the floor.  Didn't make it in the strip sets.  Didn't make it in the quilt.  Lots and lots of expletives.  More expletives.  Potty mouth quilter.  So, this quilt is actually 2 1/2 inches too small on all sides.  Kathy and Brenda love looking at this quilt as asking me, "Isn't something missing?"  I think I should give it to one of them for their birthday.  Smartypants.

Another quilt retreat weekend will hopefully yield two more projects.  Hopefully in less than 7 months.  I have a really, really good excuse for being behind. 

Find out what it is in a post soon to be called "My Sister and I".  I am very excited about this project, and will be happy to share it with you soon. 

Mom, could you please . . .

My son Brandon's girlfriend, Amarra, had a birthday on Friday.  On the Tuesday before her birthday (that's right, I said Tuesday), Brandon asked if it would be possible for me to make her a bag for her birthday.  Tuesday request . . . Friday birthday.  So I said sure!!

Then, as all you creative types and fashionistas know, what follows next is a laundry list of questions.  What's her favorite color?  Does she like a big bag or small?  Long strap or short?  Yadayadayada.  I told Brandon that I would leave a stack of patterns on my cutting mat and directed him to my stash closet.  He did tell me that Amarra's favorite color was blue, so I put a big post it so he could see the stack marked "light blues" and the stack marked "dark blues".  He was told to pick a pattern and a fabric and meet me at Piece by Piece after work. 

I found out two things about Brandon.  First of all, he has excellent taste.  I thought he would pick out a pattern for a trendy hipster bag or something similar.  Nope, not my Brandon.  He picked out one of the most expensive, most difficult and classiest looking bag in the pile of patterns.  Amy Butler's Sweet Harmony Handbag was his choice.  Good taste, right? 

The second thing I found out about Brandon was that he has expensive taste.  The fabric he chose out of my stash was one of the most beautiful and expensive blue fabrics that was in the pile.  You know, the one fabric that you keep setting aside and say to yourself, "I really have to make something special with that one day."  What's more special than making something for your son? 

Armed with a pattern and our focus fabric, we are standing in Piece by Piece to pick out a coordinating fabric and lining.  With the help of the fabulous Vicki and Lisa, mission accomplished in about two minutes.

Home after our shopping trip, I sat down to read the pattern as I had never made this bag before.  I discovered that it was not going to be difficult, just tedious.  Lots of cutting.  The pattern recommends two layers of fusible interfacing and two layers of fusible fleece.  I checked my supply of both and decided that one layer of each would be fine.  I just chose a heaver fusible interfacing for stability. 

After a total of three hours of cutting and three hours of sewing later, the bag was finished on Friday morning.  Whew!  It was beautiful.

The bag has two wonderful, big outside pockets.  Inside one of the pockets, I put a cell phone pocket.  No girl wants to go fishing around in her bag for her cell phone.  It must be handy.

Inside is two large spaces and of course, a zippered pocket. 

Brandon saw the bag and smiled.  A result worth the fabric, time, and effort.  He was happy with the bag and I even got a "Wow".  He met Amarra and her family for dinner for her birthday.  Brandon gave her the bag and I got a text saying that everyone loved the bag.  Brandon was kind enough to take a picture and send it to me.  Judging by her smile, I think Amarra must love the bag, too.

Happy Birthday, Tim . . . and Thank You

I am in the process of designing and constructing a quilt for my sister, so I have nothing new to report.  I have been working on a few UFOs when I come to a creative block.  I will keep you posted and show some pictures.

So, I will take this opportunity to give a nod to my husband, Tim.  Tim is very supportive of my quilting hobby (more like obsession).  As I am supportive of his biking hobby (also more like obsession).  He doesn't really complain when I come home with an enormous bag of new fabric, as the reverse is true when he needs new biking gear.  I go to quilt retreats.  Tim goes on rides.  Long, long rides.  He has a 150 mile ride for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society coming up in just a couple of weeks.

Recently Tim, turned 50.  (By the way, I am much, much, much younger than Tim.  That's the story I'm going with anyway.)  Brandon and I threw him a 50th Birthday party.  It turned out to be a little larger than expected, and we all had great fun.  We requested that the invitees not bring gifts as we knew Tim would rather enjoy the day with people he cares about than getting more "stuff".  However, he did get one gift from Brandon, which I would like to share with you.

If you have 8 minutes, please enjoy this video that Brandon made for his father for his 50th Birthday.  There wasn't a dry eye in the house.  Those who know Tim know that there is nothing more important in Tim's life than Brandon.  So, for Tim this is the best gift he has ever gotten . . . ever.

So, I post here and now, Happy Birthday and thank you to my husband Tim, for our beautiful son, for our many adventures, and for all he does. 

Graduation

Think teenagers really don't care about quilts?  Well, that couldn't be further from the truth.  I think everybody has a little "Linus" in us.  All Graduates love cash . . . we all know that.  But they also love something that is distinctly theirs.  I have made quilts for kids graduating high school and the look on their face is priceless.  From the girls, a look of glee.  From the boys a look of, "Quilts can been cool?  Really?"

Chad graduated last year, but I didn't have a "boy" quilt to make this year, and I wanted to show you one.  We gathered up those t-shirts that they can't bear to part with.  You know the ones that are shoved in the back of a drawer and are so wrinkled they are hardly recognizable as a garment anymore.  When you tell your kids to clean out their drawers for Goodwill, they say that old shirt is one of their "favorites" and won't part with it.  I used a template to cut out the shirt and backed it with a woven fusible interfacing.  This stops the shirt from stretching and it will stay square.  Chad loved this t-shirt quilt so much that he refused to take it to college where it may be ruined.  The smile on Chad's face in this picture was not fake.  He genuinely was excited to get this gift.  It was well worth every minute of making this quilt.

Becky is truly a girly girl with three brothers.  A t-shirt quilt just wasn't going to do for her.  As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever seen her wear a t-shirt other than as a uniform for softball.  Regardless, making a quilt for her was a snap.  She loves purple -- all shades of purple.  This quilt was amazingly easy to make because you didn't have to match one seam!!  There are patterns out there that are young and hip and not your grandma's quilting.  Becky tells me this is going on her bed in college.

It is truly a privilege to share your art with kids.  They love having something that is distinctively their own.  Oh, and yes, I gave them some cash, too.

Memorial Day

I know I'm supposed to be writing about quilting and sewing and other crafty things.  But on certain days I feel introspective.  Memorial Day is one of those days.  So, I take the liberty of using my blog for something other than what is was created.  I guess that liberty is what Memorial Day is really about.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.  When watching the news about Afghanistan and Iraq and I hear about the fatality count for the day, I think of the son or daughter that was lost.  The brother or the sister, the mother or the father.  I think of how I would feel if that were my son, my brother, my sister.  I can't even bear the thought.  I don't know how I would live the reality.

Today I also think of my father.  He was a WWII vet and because I am 49 years old, you can surmise that he did not lose his life in the line of service.  Or did he?  I believe a big piece of him died in the Pacific Theatre.  He never spoke about the war or what he saw, but I do know that the Navy vet that returned was not the same boy that left his Indiana farm.  I once asked him why he didn't talk about the war.  He said there are things you don't want to remember. 

My father joined the service at the age of 17.  His older brother had already enlisted and was an Air Force pilot during WWII.  I remember my grandmother telling me that my father insisted that she sign the papers so he could enlist, or he would leave home.  I just see him saying that.  My father was very, very "ornery", to say the very, very least.  Could I sign those papers if it were my son, even with a threat of leaving hanging over my head?  I don't know that I could.

Tom Brokaw said that the sons and daughters of WWII was the "greatest generation."  I read the book and by all accounts, never was there ever before then such a sense of patriotism by all persons, not just those in the service, but also those at home.  This book is worth a read.  My grandmother had two sons at war.  She was very proud of her sons.  How does one bear that?

So, to all those who we have lost, no matter during what war or conflict, and to those who watch their loved ones serve our country, I thank you.

Extreme Makeover -- Sewing Room Edition

The new floor is installed.  The new sewing cabinet is in.  Time to add the equipment and fabric!!  It's hard to imagine that I sewed for so long on a dark green carpet.  The room now feels so much more open and airy.  I feel like I'm in a whole new house!!

Thanks to Tim, Dan and Brandon for installing this floor in one Saturday morning.  The cabinet was in after lunch on Saturday afternoon.  That was my Mother's Day gift.  I am the luckiest mom . . . ever.

My new desk area is no longer that dark green and horrible orange color that it once was.  I now feel like a sewing princess!!

I diligently folded and refolded my fabric stash to fit in my closet just the way I wanted.  Like colors together, themes together, etc. etc.  I discovered that I have way too much fabric.  One tip that someone gave at a seminar was if you find fabric that you love buy it.  Buy it all!!  Yikes!!  Where would I put it?  New plan . . . pick out coordinating fabrics from my stash and find a pattern to go with it, instead of the other way around.

I decided to put my design boards around my desk area and save my room walls for quilts.  I have so many folded in the closet and decided it was time to display them.  Here's the desk area.  The design boards act as a great "sound insulator" for the TV.  I just have to figure out a way to make those unsightly TV cords not so ugly.  Any suggestions?

Now for the best.  If you have two sewing machines, the Koala Craftpro IV is the best.  It is counter height so the extensions serve as a cutting tables.  One on each side!!  Tons of storage.  Everthing that was laying around is now stored neatly on the shelves under the cabinet.  You don't have to take up wall space for bookshelves or put in an extra cabinet for all those notions!!  I died and went to sewing room heaven!!

There is even now a wide open area to move around.  Lay your blocks out on the floor, and an ironing board.  My father-in-law made me the big board to go over my regular ironing board and the quilt hanger that you see.  It's wonderful to be in a family full of handymen!!

From Sewing Room to Sewing Studio

When we built our house 8 years ago, the room I now use as my sewing room was a designated "play room" for my son.  He picked out the wall color, carpet color, etc. etc.  It showed.  At that time he was  in love with the Packers.  So there we were. Yellow walls, dark green desk area, dark green carpet.  Not exactly conducive to a sewing room.  Nonetheless, when he got his drivers license, he was rarely home anymore.  So, I stole the room. 

Out came the Playstation, drum set, futon, and rock star posters.  I was so anxious to have my very own sewing space, I didn't bother changing anything.  Have you ever sewed for very long on a dark green carpet?  Not good.

I put on my best "pouty" face and told my husband that my sewing space needed an extreme makeover.  Reluctantly and with his best "pouty" face, he gave the green light.  Here's the progress:

Here's the first "before" picture.  See the beautiful dark green carpet and those vibrant yellow walls?  I cringe just looking at it.  As you can see, I tested out paint colors.  It couple me a couple of tries, but I finally found something I truly loved.  It's funny how colors look so different in the store than at home.  Thank God for those wonderful paint samples they have now. 

And here's the dark green "cubby" area.  You can see more paint tests.  This is a great area to set up my computer and store my books.  As it was it was way too dark.  I'll fix that!!

And so it began . . . paint samples . . . standing back.  Hmmm.  Brenda's opinion, Annette's opinion, Tim's opinion.  First I got the ceiling painted.  Feeling like Michael Angelo, I stood back and admired my handy work.  That was last weekend.  This weekend the walls. 

From this picture it is hard to tell, but the walls are now a light and airy shade of pale green.  The room looks so clean and bright.  I already feel inspired.  And as for that cubby:

It is now a light sage green.  For a nice pop of color, I painted the desk a marine blue.  The red paper you see on the floor is the next big step to be completed next weekend.  Hardwood floors.  I am so excited I feel giddy. 

So what am I now using for my sewing room?  Well, my poor dining room looks like an explosion, but I am able to satisfy my need to sew little projects for now.

Needless to say I haven't invited anyone to dinner in a while.  I'll keep you up to date on the construction. 

Oh, by the way.  A beautiful Koala cabinet will be going in my space.  Check it out.  It will be the CraftPro Plus IV.  Check it out at http://www.sewingandcraftclub.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=2919&category_id=303