Down South and Sewing Away

Last night I sewed while Randy was on the computer doing work. I finished putting a table runner together, sewed borders on a see, speak, & hear no evil redwork, made 22 name tags for CTQG, sewed inner borders and part of the outer borders on a QOV quilt.

This morning Randy brought me a nice breakfast from the hotel dining room. He left for work. I ate and got on to the computer to check mail and blog a bit. Since it's still early I am going to go read and then go back to sleep.

Sweet Home Alabama

I am in Birmingham, AL with my husband, Randy and his majesty, Truffles. We arrived on Saturday, October 11, 2008. We left Lafayette, IN around 8:30 am. We had to stop more often to walk Truffles so it took a little longer to get here. Randy has been doing a contract job here since the begining of September. This job will be finished at the end of October.
The weather is very nice and sunny. In the evenings sometimes it is cool. My favorite weather is when it is cool.

Mary Charles Doll Shop
Birminham, AL

This past weekend we went to a doll douse miniature shop called. Mary Charles Dolls. It is on Petticoat Lane in Birmingham. The only miniature shop in Alabama. If you like dolls or miniatures this is the place to go. Mary has had this shop for thirty years. They are very helpful and friendly. She has a fantastic Barbie Doll Collection. I absolutely loved this shop!!!



I am working on a doll house minature Quilt Store, called "The Quilted Apple Tree". It is six rooms and an attic and I have been having a blast doing it. My good friend, Darle Griffith has been helping me and giving her input. She is a very multi talented lady. I have over 500 bolts of fabric in my shop. When my shop is finished I will take it to my quilt guilds Common Threads Quilt Guild Lafayette,IN and Old Tippecanoe Quilt Guild West Lafayette, IN for show and tell.


The Quilted Apple Tree Miniature Shop

1744 SunApple Way

Sun Valley, CA

(Not Real address)

We tried going to "The QuiltMaker Quilt Store, but we couldn't find it and both phone numbers were disconnected. I was so disappointed. We had Truffles in the kennel so we could sight see or whatever and it was our only weekend to go out and do something. We did go to a Hobby Lobby and I found some great clearance fabric for $2 a yard 9 1/8 yds for backing and a pillowcase.

we also went to a Hancock Fabrics and I bought some fat quarters. We then went to Dale's Southern Grill for dinner. It was really good. Then back to the Mariott Residence Inn to start a new week.

Hot Tamales!

Literally I had hot tamales last night. Ruthie's husband, Dan bought these marvelous home made tamales and sent some home with me. Oh my gosh were they good! Ruthie told me to watch out for the green ones that they were hot and she was right. I ate mine with sour cream so that cooled them off. I have to buy some when I get back from AL. A friend of one of their neighbors makes them. Maybe I'll have to learn how to make them.

I'm thinking I should make a red and yellow quilt to name "Hot Tamales" in honor of Dan. What do you think?

I talked to a casual friend/acquaintance last night and she has been going through a rough spot. I had no idea. Sometimes I get so involved with whats going on in my life that I don't slow down and take time to see how people around me are doing. Do you ever do that? I'm going to try and change that. It means I have to put myself out there and try and help make someone else's life a little brighter. Making new friends is not always easy but it's worth it. This blog helps me remember goals and things that I've done or want to do quilting and otherwise.

Thanks Ruthie for encouraging me to start blogging.

Traveling and PIBS!

I can not believe that it has been almost two months since I've blogged.

Yesterday I went to Common Threads Guild Day Camp for a few hours. Here's what I accomplished.

Another guild that I belong to Old Tippecanoe has a challenge that I'm participating in. We were to bring in a zip lock bag with our name enclosed with ten to twenty pieces of fabric four inches or larger. We gave them to Marissa and she in turn gave one back to us. We have to make a finished quilt (any size) by our Christmaed the tops party in December. The challenge was to use at least an inch of ten of the fabrics on the front of our quilt. I am so excited that I finished the top! It was indeed a challenge for me. My good friend Ruthie http://threadsofmine.blogspot.com/ took pity on me and helped me come up with a plan.
She is full of wonderful, creative ideas. So if you belong to OT Guild or you want to visit you will get to see my quilt in December, first Tuesday of the month at Morton Center West Lafayette, IN .

I also finished a table runner top with embroidered lavenderwork of tea cups and saucers for my daughter, Kelsey (my son Zach's wife) for Christmas. It's ready to quilt. Purple is her favorite color. If I ever get the hang of posting pictures on here you will get to see more of my projects.



I started a jelly roll quilt for a Quilt Of Valor quilt. I'm hoping to have ready to quilt soon. It is done in red, whites, and blues from some fabric that I purchased at Rossville Quilts in Rossville, Indiana. This top is about three fourths done.



I also sewed the blocks together for a PIB (project in bag). It was from Australian Patchwork & Quilting Jan/Feb 2000 vol. 7 No.1 called "Beyond The Garden Gate". I loved appliquing the baskets. I sewed the blocks together and since I didn't have the pattern with me I stopped sewing because I couldn't remember if some small strips went in between the blocks or if it was a small inner border. I went home and found the pattern today. (it took me awhile to find it) It is a small inner border! yeah! no unsewing! It's been in a bag for at least four years. I think I bought the magazine at CT auction one year.

Tomorrow my husband and I are traveling to Birminham, AL. He is working there for two months and has been flying home on weekends (for one day) and then back again. So, his majesty, Truffles and I are going to go there for two weeks so he doesn't have to travel for a weekend. We are driving down tomorrow. We are leaving at 7:30ish .

The job will be done at the end of this month. Hopefully, a new one will be coming quickly.

I packed the important stuff last night. Five bags of projects to quilt, piece, bind, crochet, and embroider. And of course read.

Some that I want to finish are a Mini vege jar quilt from Miniature Quilts magazine September 2001, Issue No.55. I started it when I went to San Francisco to be with my grandma before she passed away. It is hand applique.

I also started a scrap snowball quilt while in San Francisco that I want to finish.

I have fabric cut for a quilt pattern by Cottonseed Glory that I purchased in Annapolis, MD last year called Wisteria Lane. I'm doing it in blues since it's for my nephew, Brent and his wife, Samantha and blue is his favorite color.

I have a bug jar quilt ready to sew into rows, pattern by Carol Hopkins. I took this class years ago at Quilters Harvest and I've finished five of them.

I also gathered fabric for for Orange Slices by My Sister and me. The pattern is adorable I only hope do it justice. I also have to buy fabric for the background. I can't believe that I don't have any suitable but I don't.

I bought the pattern and panels for patriotic quilts at Rossville Quilts so maybe I'll get them started. I plan on making three.

Today I talked to my friend Carole A. and she said "How long are you going to be gone"? You don't want to stay in the hotel and get cabin fever. Anyone that knows me knows that I always go over board with projects that I take when I go somewhere. I want to be able to choose what I want to do in the moment. I'll give an update when I get home maybe everything will be done. Right?

When Carole still lived in Lafayette I was house sitting across the street from her house in The Landings. Taking care of a cat and dog. I would gather up my stuff to go across the street for sewing days. Of course I had bags of stuff to take over to her house and she called me "The Bag Lady" because I had bags of STUFF!

I have already found where we will visit. Quilt Shops, Miniature shops, and thrift stores/flea markets/antique shops.

I have to finish packing my stuff lol! So I better get off here. Hopefully, I it won't be another two
months before you hear from me again.

Thoughtfully,
Janet

Redwork, Wool Work, and Grieving

I haven't been doing a lot of quilting or needlework lately. This week I did get out my light box and copied a redwork pattern on to fabric. One pattern was an old fashioned toddler on a rocking horse called "Baby's Morning Ride. The book is called Redwork Quilts Book 2 by Tricia Cribbs. It has some really nice patterns in it. It will be really cute when it is done.

I have a Dresden Plate pattern by Margie Towery that I also copied on to fabric. I love this pattern. The way she taught us to do it you don't have to use templates, just baste it on to the background from the back and then appliqué it on.

In my last blog I forgot to mention that my friend Becky had some really awesome wool needlework cases that she brought to OTQG last week. Now I want to get wool out and make some. She inspired me to dig into my wool. Did you know that there are wool seminars and workshops, and etc.? I didn't know! Where have I been? And how cool is that?

On to another topic:
I have been really missing my grandma (Tillie) this week. She passed away one year and 4 months ago.

I went to San Francisco, CA twice a year for a number of years to be with her. She was always my biggest fan of my life accomplishments. She rooted for me when I went back to school and graduated from IVY Tech in my 30's and when I started painting with water colors, and then when I started quilting, redwork, rug hooking, needle punch, and everything. She thought I was the best even when I made mistakes. That is why I miss her so much. We both loved reading mysteries too!

She was diagnosed with lung cancer in November 2006. I went on December 27th to be with her and take care of her. (Since my mom passed away 20 years ago I became even closer to my grandma.) She passed away on March 6, 2007.

I inherited my grandma's dog, Truffles, so he helps me when I'm missing her. I returned home at the end of March 2007 by way of a road trip on a Southern route to Mesa, AZ from San Francisco and then to Indiana. Thanks for listening to my rambling.

Another Day and Another Month has passed

Tonight I went with my good friend Ruthie (from Ruthie's Quilting), to Moe's on the Levee for dinner. We had yummy quesadillias. When Ruthie joined OTQG we decided to try and go to a new restaurant before we go to guild. So that means twice a month we can try somewhere new.
Then we go to quilt guild, Old Tippecanoe Quilt Guild in West Lafayette, IN

The program tonight was given by Marty Hudlow. It was Fun & Done Quilting. If you haven't heard of this it was really fun. It is a new take on quilt as you go. I think there were enough rows done to make a quilt for the Women's Shelter that we make quilts for.

Marty showed us some patterns by Prarie Sky Quilting. They are really cool. I am so excited I thought I lost this post. I logged in today and here it is. Yea!!!!!!!

Block Of The Month

Over the past few days I finished my blocks for the Rossville Block of the Month. The July block had the pattern from Rossville Quilt Shop (Rossville, IN) and they included extra fabric to make up a block of your own. We had to use the Moda line of fabric, none out of our stash. The winner will receive 20 fat quarters or 5 yards of fabric for the completion of the quilt top for sashing, borders, or whatever. I included Redwork in my blocks. I couldn't help myself so I made two blocks. There are many talented quilters in this club, so it will be fun to see what all of the blocks look like. They will be hanging up in the shop for everyone to see.

I started making another Quilt Of Valour quilt in red, white, and blue. The blocks are the Shooting Star block from Marcia's web site Quilter's Cache. There is such a big variety of blocks and quilts to choose from to make. My friend, Ruthie is a block tester for Marcia.

On Saturday I delivered the Black and White Star quilt to be quilted. Ruthie helped me choose the backing for it. She had just purchased backing fabric from Hancock's of Paducah it was the perfect color/pattern and since my backing was a few inches to small we traded fabrics and it was ready to go. I want this quilt DONE!

Recently I purchased a hand pieced quilt top from a little flea market store called Klassy Klutter on south 4th St., lafayette, IN. It is red with white muslin with plain white alternating blocks. It is made of four patches and half square triangles. It is called the Anvil block. Of course, red and white together are one of my favorite combination.

I gave two kitchen size bags 0f scraps to my sister to deliver to her church for ladys to make charity quilts. You would never know that it is gone from my room.

Did you notice the idea for sewing cases made out of long potholder's? It is in one of the recent Fon's and Porter magazines. Ruthie brought one back /or made one from her Internet quilt group's retreat in St. Louis, MO. It's cute.

I know this is a long post, but it's been awhile since I logged on here to post anything. I have to get caught up.

Iv'e been making hexagon's to make some kind of Grandmother's Flower Garden. I enjoy making them.