What's on my Design Wall...............and Ellen's Pictures

Nothing really exciting on my design wall, but I hope it will turn into something exciting.  I have always wanted to make a "house" quilt.  I have lots of pieces mostly small left over from "A Bow Tie Affair."  I had originally bought a bundle of Portobello Market fabric.  I had not used two of the colorways in the ABTA quilt and also had all of these little pieces left over.  With some additions from my stash I could use up this fabric and hopefully have a nice "house" quilt.  This is the second story of the house.  Later today, hopefully, I will have the rest of the house finished.  The other squares that you see in the background are another quilt.  I am also going to work on that today. 

I want to show you the "skinny wall" in my sewing room.  These pictures were painted by my daughter.  If you are interested she has an etsy shop.  I hope to add some of her pictures to the right column of this blog.  First she has to figure out how to get them to me.  For some reason the email isn't coming through.  I haven't looked at it as yet, but will.

We have a dreary day in south west Louisiana.  It is not raining but looks like it will.  It is 77 degrees.  Wish it would stay at that all day.  I am a bit tired of summer and am greatly looking forward to winter. 

Hope all is well on your end..........

What's on my Design Board and the Beaumont Guild Meeting

I have finished a quilt front.  I should hear drums rolling.  And now the back.  I piece my backs as most everyone knows.  I started out with the idea that I would make a bow tie on the back (the quilts name is a bow tie affair).  EQ7 (my best buddy) and I made a drawing something to resemble a bow tie.  So thus I am putting this together without knowing exactly how much fabric I have.  I use the left over pieces so sometimes they just are not large enough.  Sometimes I can work with that as I am doing here.  It helps if you have enough fabric of the right color, of which I quickly discovered that I do not have.  So back to the drawing board and I may have to hit the "stash" too and no more bow tie. 

Last Thursday was guild at Beaumont, TX.  I am a member.  It is a really nice guild with a great membership.  Their guest speaker was Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.com.  She is a scrappy quilter and uses many, many little pieces.   She and I have dropped from the same apple tree.  She has a quilt with over 10,000 pieces in it.  I have one somewhere around 5000 pieces.  Her pieces were smaller.  I loved her line - if the fabric is still ugly, you have not cut it small enough yet.  She also is a English Paper Piecer - hexagons - now you all know how I love hexagons and English Paper Piecing.   She should live closer, I know we could convert some of you to little pieces and hexagons.

Stash Report 22 Aug 2010 and etc....................

I have retrieved my other bag of fabric from shop hop.  In the last Stash Report I mentioned that there was another bag mixed in with another shoppers bags.  This fabric is super, with a couple more solids added to it, it will make a terrific quilt.

While living in California, I went into this wee little shop and found the most beautiful fabrics, fabrics that were WOW fabrics.  Naturally I bought  three of them.  Then they sat, not wanting to cut into them.  One day the light bulb went off and thus this quilt.  The picture really doesn't do justice to the colors of the quilt, but you get the idea. 

For those of you who know, I have funky chickens in my kitchen.  My kitchen table set (chairs) I bought in 1978.  Fabric just will not last forever and my chairs were in need of being redone.  I wanted something that would go with the chickens (check out the valances) and with anything else that I might change to.  The upholstery people did a fantastic job.

STASH REPORT.................
fabric from the shop hop (mentioned above)
7 yards in
-6 yards out
Year to date:
In  125 1/8 yards
Out  -68 1/4 yards
Net 56 7/8 yards

I pulled fabric for a pieced back. 
Thankfully, I don't think there are any more shop hops this year.  The Houston Show is coming up Nov 4th (I believe) and I understand that there is a bus going and staying over night.  Same people (plus) from the shop hop.  It will require self control and then some. 


Click on the pictures for a better view..........
Hope all is well on your end.............

What's on my Design Wall.............and etc..............

Actually at some point in the last few months you have seen both of these quilts.  More then showing off my quilts, I am going to show off more of my new sewing room and the shop hop "stuff" (see yesterday's post). 
The quilt laying on the table - I am putting the borders on it.  I have 2 sides to go.  The quilt on the design wall (isn't that a nice wall) has been needing attention, and it is coming up soon.  My son put up the design wall.  I am going to put up a bulletin board, made from the same material, then all the "junk" on the wall should go away.  The table (with quilt) is actually my ironing surface (that has changed from original table posted a few days ago - I made it larger).  It is (2) 23 x 48 tables and 2 big boards.  I added batting to both and covered them with muslin so that it looks like one piece. 

Now, I must show you what I bought on my shop hop...........

The sewing machine on the left - Pfaff 2170.  The other machine on the right is a Pfaff 2144 upgraded to a 2170.  Why would I buy another machine practically exactly like the one I already have???????????WELL.........I do some embroidery and I embroidery all of my labels.  I hated to change my machine from sewing to embroidery and back again.  I bought this machine because I know how to run it, all of the things that I have bought for the 2144 will work on the 2170.  So, I am a happy camper. 

I wanted to show you my work area.  Across from this is my cutting board (see previous posts).  The room is coming together.  I still have things to do, but they are on hold.  My son is off to the great northwest and he is my "put it together" person. 

More shop hop "stuff" in the next post.
Click on pictures for a better view...........
Hope all is well on your end..............

SHARIE'S STASH.............. and SHOP HOPPIN'

Shop Hop was Friday and Saturday.  We picked up a bus in Lafayette at The Borne Quilter.  We stopped at two quilt stores in Baton Rouge continued on to Independance.  I must say that we had the best bus driver in the world.  If anyone has been to Mama's Quilt Shop in anything bigger than a Volkswagon knows the road and then the drive to the shop is quite narrow (besides the ditches on each side of the drive).   We took a bus the size of a greyhound up that drive and then he backed up out of that drive.  He got a big round of applause when we were back out onto the road.  Then it was time to eat in Hammond, LA and then call it a day staying overnight in Covington. 

Saturday - another day of chasing fabric and etc.  On we went after breakfast to Mandeville and then to Houma and back to Lafayette.  Great fun was had by all.

I only have a few pictures, my camera died - dead battery. 

STASH REPORT............

You cannot go on a shop hop and not buy fabric or at least I can't.  No control at all.  I bought more and spent more than what should be allowed, but oh so fun.  The "I Love Quilting" sign is for my sewing room.  I could not resist. 

I have several more pictures to post but will post them in a separate posting.  Come take a look...................I actually bought 37 1/8 yards (many batiks).  I also have another sack of fabric that got mixed into someone's bags so that is not counted.
THIS WEEK:
In  38 1/8 yards
Out  -2 7/8 yards
YEAR TO DATE:
118 1/8 yards
Out  -62 1/4 yards
Net:  55 7/8 yards

It looks like I need to do some serious quilting................
Click on the pictures, you have a much better view.  Hope all is well on your end................

CONGRATULATIONS...........................

Our own (Lake Charles, LA) Judy Beskow has won first place in the Applique Division of the Hoffman Challenge of 2010.  It was such a joy to watch her put this quilt together.  Judy is a fantastic quilter and has a terrific imagination.  It will be at the Colorado show in Loveland on the 20th and then will travel during the year.  CONGRATULATIONS OVER AND OVER AGAIN, JUDY.....................

Sharie's News..........

We have been busy around here so I should have lots of news. 

I have moved into my sewing room.  It is not totally finished but should be in a few days.  I wish to hang a quilt and have just received new blinds (UPS) that need to go up and a bulletin board that needs to be shortened and hung.  I can sew in there and that is most important.  The room has a new ceramic tiled floor. Also, a new paint job thanks to my daughter, Ellen.  I am in heaven.............I have a picture or two to post.  I would like to add more but the lighting is very bad at the moment.   Come back and check out the rest of the room as I get pictures to post.

The sunporch looks very different (where I sewed before).  I still store a lot of my quilting things out there but it looks so much larger with all the tables and storage carts gone.

I am off to a Shop Hop this weekend.  We pickup a bus in Lafayette (at a quilt shop).  It will be nice since we don't have to drive.  There is about 32 women going on the bus.  We go as far as Baton Rouge, stay overnight in Covington, hit a few shops on Saturday and then home.  Should be great fun.  If I remember my camera, I will post pictures when I get back.

This is Chester.  He thought he was being helpful.  He decided to go higher.  Ellen was painting the room.  It was a peachy pink, now, a gray blue.  It goes beautifully with the tile. 

To the left is my design board and my featherweight sewing machine
and then my cutting table.  Under it is lots of project boxes.  On the lower left is a cube (holds boxes, they pull out).  I have two more cubes that need to be put together.  Organization.....  The cubes are nice since the boxes pull out.  Without a doubt, if I wanted one of the projects it would be on the bottom and I would have to move everything on the top. 

Above is my ironing surface (this is one of those things that you cannot fix with this word processor) :-(    It is a 24 x 48 table with a big board on top.  It is perfect not only for ironing but for putting long things together as I am doing there (making borders).  In the background (it is going bye bye) my old design boards.  I have to either move the blocks or sew the blocks together.  Next project after the project on the ironing board. 

The picture was done by my daughter.  She is an artist.  It is on canvas.  In the next few days I am going to post some of her art (for sale) on the right column of my blog.  Sorry, you quilters, this one is mine. 

Look at this tree.  It is changing colors and it is the 10 August and it is still in the 90's (every day).  I don't understand why it is changing colors.  Of course I don't know what kind of tree it is.  I don't recall it changing colors before this early in the year.  Sure is pretty. 



Click on pictures for a better view.

Sorry the format is not better.  This program is a long way from having a decent word processor.  It is very difficult trying to edit anything.  It is enough to pull your hair out. 

Hope all is well on your end..................