Winding down or gearing up!!??

Quilt show is done, the fair is over and now Fall is on the horizon. So as a quilter I am winding down from these events but gearing up for the months ahead and I am setting up a quilt on the frame this weekend. I received a bag of  "scraps" from my friend Jessica awhile back. This past week I dug them out and started playing. Oh my...these weren't your itty bitty pieces...these were leftover blocks and strips sets to make more blocks and so I did!!! I have managed a single bed quilt from it all.

good thing it is only a single bed quilt

So that is going on the frame today.DH is not too happy about me migrating into the family room with the quilt frame. I am suppose to stay in the other living room but it is crowded with my sewing stuff cause my basement sewing room is too cold!!! Maybe I have too much space!?! BUT technically I am in the entrance way and only a bit in the family room!!! hehehe

It is great when friends and family know what you do. Yesterday my brother in law was at a yard sale and saw a quilt frame. He thought I could probably use it so he got it for $1.00!!! The lady is a quilter who is moving into an apartment. Once I got the bundle home...I realized there was actually two quilt frames. Four boards with c-clamps and there was a homemade frame similar to the pic (left). I set the frame up yesterday only to find it wasn't quite right. I asked DH to have a look and mentioned that these frame have like a cog wheel to keep them from moving. He got  a funny look on his face and said "let's go". He had been to the same garage sale and remembered seeing two wheels there. Sure enough we found the missing pieces. Gotta love small towns!!! In the near future when I have a quilt on it, I will put a pic on the blog.(I forgot to take one yesterday when it was set up!)

this was the whole bundle of two frames

star blocks, trying to arrange them

So today for slow stitching...I will be putting the first stitches into my "Maple Stars" quilt. The weather is co operating...it is dreary and damp out so staying indoors  with something to do is on the schedule for today!!! Have a great day with whatever you choose to do!

Fall Fair Weekend

This is coming in late on a Sunday as it has been a busy weekend, well busy week and weekend!!

prize winning hand crafts

After cleaning up from last weekend and getting my bearings...this week was spent getting ready for the fair. I had most of my entries ready to go but still needed two baby quilts. So with two days to do it in, I got them finished and tagged just in time for Friday's deadline.

Large quilts going onto District Level

My quilt/sewing entries did very well this year. Two of my large quilts will be going onto the next level of the agricultural fairs in October. I did only one loaf for baking(not a fan of the baking part especially in summer),pickles either won 1st or lost and I put flowers in this year. I haven't done this for a few years but decided to this year and they did not bad!!
As I was collecting my things yesterday, I parted with one of the baby quilts as a gift for a friend's new grandbaby (who was at the fair). I think Charlotte will like her new quilt. I will have to get a pic to show later.
So today was a day of putting things away and finding out what project to work on next. I decided on a baby quilt(love them). I pieced it last October and it needs to be finished. So it got sandwiched and I am working on the machine quilting.My DH stole me away for a couple of hours to visit our garden plot we have out in the country where we dug up some potatoes. We also detoured on the way home to a friend's farm and got fresh cucumbers and corn on the cob. So we are having that for supper with pork chops...can't wait!!!So they don't look so appetizing here but trust me when I say they are delicious!

fresh beets, zucchini,onions,potatoes,corn and cukes

So my slow stitching I think will be later after supper when I can sit down, rest my aching back and join up some more hexies!!!While at Kathy's blog check out those hands, hard at work!!

So now I have something to show! While trying to complete one of the baby quilts, while adding the binding, I was short. A picture is worth one big curse word!!!!!
So what is a girl to do...no more fabric, not even a sliver!!?!?! So I unsewed some of the binding back past two mitred joins. Made the seam allowances smaller and reattached everything. IT WORKED!!! There was a little sweating going on, hoping there would be enough.

short 1/4"+ seam allowances....arrgh!!

I need a vacation or at least a day of sewing!!

72 and that isn't everyone!

It has been a busy week and a half. We were preparing to host DH's family reunion. Luckily he has lots of brothers and sisters to help cause we had  72 people here for the weekend. Some were camping and others were in a motel but we were all together for supper on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday. With only a few forgotten things, everything went well and we enjoyed a beautiful sunny,hot and humid weekend except for the rain on Friday night that did clear off in time to have a little bonfire.  I finally got to meet our newest great nephew who is only a month old. I was able to hold him and give him his new quilt.

Jamis and his new quilt

You know summer is coming to an end....fall fair time!

 Today is clean up the house day and laundry then I have to settle into my sewing room and finish 2 baby quilts for the fall fair which is this weekend coming. Things never slow down around here it seems. I have a couple cakes to make also and then I have to gather everything and add to this pile so I can get it all ready for delivery to the arena for Friday morning.
Hope everyone has a great week!

Quilt Show Weekend!

Yes this weekend was our guild's quilt show in the barn. We held it 3 years ago in the same barn. We had a perfect weekend with weather and the attendance was great. All the things you could ask for in a quilt show. These pics are ones a friend and member of the guild took, thanks Donna. I completely forgot to take any pictures So for this reason there will be very little slow stitching this weekend, I am just too pooped to pop!!! May find a few minutes to relax later tonight but must catch up on things around the house even before this week starts. Next weekend we are hosting my DH's family reunion so we have to get the yard and garage ready for company, not to mention groceries and some food things ready.
 I have been sewing but mostly on tumbler blocks, hexies and a small applique project for a baby quilt. That is all I am able to fit into the bits of time I have. Also excited this week because my daughter will be home for a holiday. Looking forward to that.
Here's hoping for little bits of time this week to help keep me calm and from going crazy! Hope you all have a great week too!

While hubby is away....

No meals will need cooking,no housework will get done and who needs 8 hours of sleep!?!?!
Okay so I still had to eat so I cooked a bit and to take breaks in between machine quilting I got a few little jobs around the house done but the sleep I am very much lacking especially when the dog thinks morning should start at 6 am!!!

Robot baby quilt

I started the weekend with lots of projects in mind...but getting started was hard. Which one did I want to do or would I like to do? So that left me wandering around the house. Does anybody else have that in between projects dilemma.
I have completed a table runner and a baby quilt, both need the binding sewn down. That will be my slow stitching Sunday evening project. I have also started a baby quilt for a little girl. All the pieces are cut out except for some small applique pieces. They will be conquered this evening too! Looks like another late night. Must get it all done as the DH returns tomorrow!!!

table runner

baby quilt to be!!