Design Wall and Etc.

It is cool in the deep south.  It is 11:00 a.m. and it is 48 degrees.  The next few days it is going to be cool and the nights are darn right cold.  I am tough though.......I am from the state of Iowa where it really gets cold.  That is one reason I don't live there anymore.  Love to visit, but ice and snow and bitter cold just is not for me.  I visit in the summer if I have a choice and actually the best time is fall.  It is beautiful with the color changes and the weather is perfect.

Now to quilting............I have several pictures to show you.  The last time I posted I was putting borders on a quilt and I had not quite decided what I was going to do.  This is my "figgy" quilt.  Those of you who follow my blog have read the story behind the "figgy" quilt.  I finally decided to add the borders that you see here.  This picture is one quarter of the quilt.  I will post one after the quilt is quilted and I can hang it somewhere.  I need help since I am short and cannot get up on ladders. 


I went to a class in Jasper, TX on Saturday.  She was teaching a quilt as you go (top quilt).  It is an easy quilt.  We had a great time.  It rained most of the day which actually was good.  East Texas and West Louisiana is in dire need of rain. 

The quilt below it, is one that I have been working on but have not had the time to finish it up.  I have lots of irons in the fire and certain quilts I must finish ahead of this one.  Below that is my house quilt, someday I will finish it.  January is coming.  Next year I am going to do a lot of unfinished quilts. 

As, you may know, I have bought a George.  It is not here yet.  I assume that it might be here by the end of the week.  I am not ready for it as yet so that is okay.  Last week, a quilting friend and I went to the Barewood Store in Lake Charles.  I found this table (54x54).  It has 36 inch legs.  It was a floor sample that they were selling so it was at a reduced cost.  I want it to sandwich quilts on.  It is going to stay in my garage.  I have a guy who is going to put polyurethane on it and wheels that lock. 

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Beth asked me to come to her house if I had not made plans.  She only had an elderly aunt and uncle, her husband and me.  Beth owned restaurants in the past and she is a super cook.  She could feed me everyday except I would weigh 500 pounds.  After dinner her husband, aunt and uncle retired for their naps.  Beth and I moved to her sewing room where we chatted and sewed.  What a wonderful way to spend a holiday. 

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

Design Wall and etc.............

Fig Tree Fabrics has just come out with their 20th line of fabric.  I purchased some of it for a pieced border on a quilt that I had started earlier in the year.  The quilt has at least one piece of fabric from every line that Fig Tree has designed.  This is a scrappy quilt but controlled scrappy.  I just cannot do a scrappy quilt.  It drives me crazy, putting fabric next to something that I don't think works.  That is a wrong way to think because scrappy quilts always turn out beautiful.  But, in the meantime, I would be changing this fabric for that fabric and I would never get it done.  I have this border on the design board but it is not sewn in.  I have to make a side border before I actually decide exactly what I am going to do.  Come back next week, I should have it finished.  I am thinking of adding another border under the red border. 



George

 I went to the Houston International Quilt Festival on the 4th and 5th.  I had a great time.  I thought sometimes I was a bit nutty for being there.  I am still wearing a brace and my walking is not the best but I managed to do okay.  I sat down often.  The quilts were outstanding.  The breast-cancer exhibit was fun.  I spent my money and then some.  I bought a George.  I had been thinking about this for at least a year.  I debated about a long arm stand-up machine or a long arm sit-down machine.  If I bought a stand-up, I would have do some remodeling, minor, but I would have to make changes.  And there is the problem with my neck and my back.  I was afraid that it might cause me a problem.  If I bought a sit-down machine, I would have to move some furniture around, but I would not necessarily have to make costly changes.  I asked a friend, she has both.  She does a lot of quilting.  I asked her if she was to buy a machine today, which would she buy.  She said the sit-down.  I followed her advice, and thus I will have George.  He has not arrived yet.  So while I am waiting for him, I am cleaning out.  I have two large cabinets in my sunroom.  They are going to the garage.  I am buying a large table for sandwiching, that will also be in the garage.  George is going to be in my sunroom.  This is the plans for today.  I am going to buy something to heat and cool the garage to keep it comfortable when I am in there. 

My house has a double garage and two carports.  I park in a carport.  It is easier for me to get in.  The garage is attached so it will be handy day or night for my quilting use.  Sounds like a plan. 

Hope all of you who attended the Houston Festival had a good time and found something exciting.  Besides George, I found a big stack of Luna Notte fabric by Moda.  I had wanted this fabric because it is so gorgeous and never got around to buying it.  It is almost impossible to find it now.  You can find a piece here and a piece there but that is about it.  I am thrilled.  I have no idea what I will do with it, but I will use it next year. 

Hope all is well on your end.