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!!

Sew this ...cut that, bzzzzz!!!! zzzing!!!rippppp (hopefully NOT!)

Yes just me and the dog for a whole weekend and the sewing machine and the rotary cutter will be buzzing!!!
It will be a retreat of sorts for one. Let's see what this girl can turn out in four days! I have plans but we all know how that goes, you start on one thing and SQUIRREL!!! You are onto another thing!
So with that in mind, I have tumblers to cut out to use as leaders and enders, I have a baby quilt that needs basting and quilting then binding. I must get started on some demos for the new guild year, and there are at least 3 baby quilts I want to make for little ones that are being born this summer. YIKES

Tumblers,leaders and enders

This past Monday my friend Jessica and I went on a mini road trip to two shops in the row by row. She is collecting the rows but I just went along for the ride and a little retail therapy. This is the smallest amount of fabric I think I have ever bought. Just a few fat quarters  to increase the size of my tumblers. I took along some of the tumblers I have already cut to match colours. It is the strangest shade of brown/beige!

robot baby quilt for a little boy

Whatever you are up to today and this weekend...hope you are having fun!!
P.S.  Just a thank you to those who commented on my rant from the other day. It is nice to know I am not alone in my thoughts on this subject.

Reader BEWARE!! Rant about to happen

What makes a quilt teacher...a teacher? Is it countless certificates, numerous courses that have been taken, vast knowledge of all things quilt related or a love and passion for a dying art form. Is it some of these or all of these or possibly none of these??
Could it be that all those certificates show that the teacher is just a good student? I have taken classes where the teacher was certified but was not necessarily a good teacher whereas I have learned many tips and tricks and taken classes along the way from the guild member at the next table.
Having said all this...my rant is...why do we as guild members think if a teacher is certified or not or comes from out of town she is worthy of a monetary compensation but if a guild member offers to teach a class she is not given the same compensation! Where is the fairness in this and how does it possibly encourage other members to want to teach at guild.
I would like to hear from you. What does your guild do? What do you think could be done to better the situation.
Thanks for reading and listening to my rant!!!

completely done!!

Onto more fun things. I have a couple of finishes this week. A baby quilt is finally done but has no home as yet. Also the flannel quilt that I was enlarging for a friend is finished complete with me extending the machine quilting(oh boy) and ready for delivery!

Added black and dark brown borders

Plaid added to backing & new label

Finished quilt