Off to College

There are days when you don't have a song in your heart. SING ANYWAY.

-Emory Austin

Just a few thoughts and notes for today and then it is the day I have been dreading for weeks....baby girl is off to college for her last semester. She will be a RN soon (thank goodness cuz body parts are beginning to breakdown around here when you least expect it!). We have had a wonderful summer, it zoomed by all to fast. I will miss her terrible, awful, big time!  The good news is she has had a fabulous summer working in surgery as an Extern, it seems she loves to see folks cut open. (personally I cry when I have to cut open a seam). 
 

Here is some last minute news. Get on over to Pat's blog she is giving away a "Go" cutter. Go ahead and register to win, but I'm telling you I will be the GRAND PRIZE weiner of this one. just sayin...hurry "GO on now.."

Stitch IN 2010 again!

Remember that not to be happy is not to be grateful.

-Elizabeth Carter

I have a few more Stitch IN photos to show you then I will not subject you to the fun,quilts,  laughter, quilts, fellowship,quilts, food, frivolity, happiness, friends, quilts, bobbins,games,quilts, prizes, joy, pleasure, quilts and general all around over the top wonderfulness. okay? Are you sick of it yet?

Carla's batik fantastic quilt. Simple and every lovely colors. I really liked it. Too bad I was jumping up and down when I took the picture..hence the blurrrr.

A lovely quilt by Carrie who was having a birthday and came to spend it with us. SMART GIRL!

Sue made this one. Wow!!it has been said that there are two colors in this world. "Red" and "Ugly" so this one is for all you "Red" lovers.

I love this one Jane made. Very Turquoise and lovely. See that precious girl holding the quilt on the left. I love her too!

And now for some people photos. We played our finial game of Left Right Center. It is TRADITION just like Santa and the Thanksgiving Turkey. This year we made batik 9 patches. Everyone began the game when I asked them to put the nine patches on their QUILT RACKS for everyone to examine see. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here is the lucky winner. Posing for the cameras...SARAH and guess what. She is a two time winner. and there is more read on..........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are the COVETED, HONORED, SOUGHT AFTER, well lets just say these are the CA-CA jars so named after Cathy A. who was our  first double winner. She won the jar two years in a row so she has two JUGS of tiny scraps and block trimmings. As tradition has it when one wins a CA-CA jar..one must bring the jar back and place it on their sewing station at all future Stitch INS. It is to be kept in a safe place...FOREVER.... Well guess what. Not only did Sarah win the Nine Patch squares...she also won a CA-CA jug/jar. Yes she is one lucky lady. Now she has to keep this lovely award so we all will see it a future Stitch Ins and she has some crap scraps from each one of use to carry in her heart. Oh but the story does not end here.... CATHY WON A THIRD JUG JAR.  So now the award will be named the CA-CA-CA award. Photos to come (MAYBE/probably not). Chris won one too. She was thrilled. well kinda.

 

 

 

And these are the weenies hot dogs.  I better not relay the conversations about this. Somethings are better left unsaid.

I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet,simple things of life which are the real ones after all. 

-Laure Ingalls Wilder
More quilty goodness for you to enjoy.

Sandra whipped this quilt out in no time, and it was ginormous. Night and Day pattern by E.Burns. FANTASTIC!

 

 OK check out these 3 pictures. The quilt (not such a great photo but I'm tellin you people these quilts go up and down so fast with 3 bazillion people whooping and singing "Celebrate"..oh forget it you will have to come to a Stitch In to understand.) Anyway, first photo the quilt. Second photo the closed up windows. Third photo PEEK A BOO the cutest "I spy" quilt you ever saw. Made by Carla. Grandbaby is still baking in mommy's tummy. So here is the problem. I am now jealous of the quilt and even more jealous that Carla is going to be a GRANDMOTHER....I gotta get a grip.

  

 

Sarah and her paper pieced stars. Sarah finished about 40 projects during the Stitch IN. More on her later. Oh BTW in case you wondered..we had Pajama, Patchwork and Pizza day...we all worn our jammies (and prayed we did not get stopped by the police on the way home)

Julie made and quilted this little Shnibble..people were Schnibbling all over the place. Carrie will be so proud. 

Tricia finished this quilt "General Lee" and it is King sized! She wouldn't give it to me. She is my SIL. Took one day off from work. I almost stole her Blackberry and flushed it in the toilet...she needs to relax and get unconnected from her office. I'm just saying

Spent the afternoon in the sewing room pressing and "cleaning up" some blocks I worked on during the Stitch IN.  They are perfect now and I am a very happy camper.

Stitch In Continued

Just to be is a blessing. Just to live is holy. 

-Rabbi Abraham Heschel

 Some of the photos of the amazing quilts that flew out from under the sewing machines of the Silver Thimble Stitch IN. The stories of the people and events of the week are even better. 

 

Teresa and Suzanne both made this quilt. Don't you love a village of houses. I could just move right in.

Dick and Jane not bad for a AP Calculus teacher. That Sue she knows math really good, I taught her every thing she knows! haha I crack myself up.
 
















This photo doesn't do the quilt justice...lovely, bright, geometric...
  











There is that D9P. I love it every time I see it.  Good job Debbie.

 

Chris finished this batik beauty. She put killer borders on it and killed me it was so good

 

 Cathy and her "Salsa" quilt in cheddar and navy. Salsa from Amer.Patchwork magazine...She did a great job especially cuz she luvs to do diagonal set quilts!!! Holey Moley you should have heard her.

 

 

And here is Marilyn with her fall bed runner made from Jelly Donuts  Roll strips. I wonder if she will put pumpkins and gourds on the foot of her bed with the runner? maybe not.

Sir Quilt Dude has requested I make this quilt that Kristie made. Me thinks not...Wow it is sumthin...so is it's maker.Count the squares now and get back to me on how many you see.

 
As for me...I was spent, tired, and needed Sunday  to "recalculate"...set my inner GPS and hit the ground running today. I began today with a 7am boob squish mamogram...WHAT WAS I THINKING? More tales from the Stitch IN tomorrow...Now I'm off to sew. 

Friendships come in many sizes and ours is Extra-Large

-unknown

We interrupt this Stitch IN with breaking news! I have a project featured in the new McCalls Quilting.  Here is a link to read about the project. and a photo of the table runner as well.  

The Stitch IN is a blast. I have taken a zillion photos of amazing quilts and finished projects. Today is the last day. We are going to have dinner cooked by moi and celebrate a wonderful week. 

Tired but happy and a little sad it is over.

 

Summer Stitch In

True friendship is seen through the heart, not through the eyes.
-unknown

If I could bottle the amount of joy that is going on in this room I would win the Nobel prize for happiness and joy. It cannot be put into words. The quilts are amazing. The stories are funny and heartwarming. Friendships abound. No lack of food people..I'm telling you. Here are some photos for you to enjoy. I must run so much to do and not enough hours in the day.

Sarah's stunning quilt made with the new "Twister" ruler...my skirt blew up with this one.

Red Black and White..perfect.

Kristie's table runner. Really sophisticated and nice! Hope nobody slops spaghetti on it.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Susan made eight of these lovely place mats. Really nice!

Mercedine..with the bow ties..so awesome.














Suzanne with a D9P...using some Kaffe fabbies. Loved it!




















Debbie spent a few hours with us and showed us a darling Table runner she whipped out. She will be a teaching the whole quilt soon.!

Julie's Bloomin 9 Patch. WOW . And she is giving it away. Don't cha just wish she was giving it to you?












Laura took an applique' class at Little Quilts. Then she made this. So terrific. And she used invisible thread. It looked great!

Elaine made this unbelievable quilt. Tiny blocks. She is a hand quilter too. 
I know she will finish it beautifully.









Wait till I tell you about the hot dogs! 

July Thimbles Mtg.

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

-E. Roosevelt

 The quilts and projects are flying up all over the room. After getting two tons of food and goodies, 500 pounds of ice, everyone arrived, settled in and the machines were humming. The laughing, jokes and general "I'm so happy to be here" comments were in heard everywhere. The Stitch IN is underway.  

I wanted to send you some pictures of the Thimbles Club meeting on Friday and Saturday. I'll post some Stitch In photos later.

Here is a darling wall hanging by Susan. Those Bee's really stole the show. She did a fantastic job with the applique' cute cute cute.
  

Shelia with a blue and brown fabulousness. Look at the look on her face. She just got her own longarm and you would think she had a baby she is glowing with every quilt she quilts her self!  Her excitement just lights up the room!

This is Sue(right) and Carla (left) they are sidekicks and best buddies. Good thing too because at this moment I can't remember who made the dadgum quilt. Oh well it will come to me later, like when I'm driving down the road trying to remember if I put on my bra.

Another great quit by Mercidene who got a new bama jama embroidery machine. she is glowing just like Shelia and her machine. I didn't get a machine...but I glow on my own anyway.

Cindi finished her quilt for her nephew. She loves those kids. More glowing!

Look at this quilt (top). Found in a barn with 20 others...Elizabeth has a real treasure here.Some are in better shape than others but I was amazed at the workmanship. Some lady probably passed away before these quilts got quilted. There is a moral to this story people....THINK ABOUT IT!!!!

Kathleen pulled out quilt after quilt after quilt from her bag. All the while I was jumping around trying to fire up my camera...here is one of them....WOW she is cranking out the quilts for sure. Now they have all got to be quilted. See story above!!!!!!

An antique quilt Shelia showed "Nosegay's" Someone said it was Ice Cream cones...It's always about the food isn't it people?

 














And this loveliness is moving along...one side finished...hand appliqued by the divine Miz Judy...OOOH LA LA those Chocolate Bunnies are good enough to eat for sure!

Our final photo...Karin...There are no words........me thinks if that is a bikini she is going to need a bit more coverage. She hung it on her personal quilt rack.

OK must run...another 12 hour day of sewing awaits. Stay tuned.

July Thimbles

Dreams are the touchstones of our character.

-Henry David Thoreau 

 We had fun this weekend at Silver Thimble Club. Once again "The Ladies of the Club" wowed us, amazed us with a plethora of fantastic quiltyness. We begin the Stitch IN at 9am tomorrow! A six day marathon of sewing. Think of us, we all wish you could be there! We will hold the banner high and represent the quilters of the world as we sew our brains out. 

I will make an attempt to blog a bit and keep you informed as to our progress. I keep a tote board of bobbins expended and finished projects. It is big fun to see how much gets done in 72 hours of sewing x 38 people. sheesh....... 

Here is Carol and her paper pieced kimonos. I used to say there is quilting in heaven and paper piecing in Hell..but I don't feel that way any more. Just so you know. Paper piecing and I are at peace with each other. Debbie will be happy I said that.

 

Linda with a beautiful quilt. I can't wait to show you a house quilt she is working on! She better get hoppin on it cuz I want to see it.  Don't tell her I said that she will think I'm pushy or something.

Suzanne finished another killer civil war repro quilt. It is grrrrreat! (I miss Tony the Tiger don't you?)

And here is Susan with a fabulous quilt. WOW thought this quilt was so sweet! Nice two color quilt. Susan is moving to TN. Happy for her but we will miss her.

Brenda and Leisa challenged each other to a stitchery race. This is a Halloween spooky house quilt. The photo doesn't do it justice. While Brenda was showing the practically completed top. Leisa walked in...it was hilarious. I guess you can figure out who won the challenge. Poor Leisa!

More adventures later. I gotta go pack the house for the Stitch IN.