Momma would be Proud!

Yesterday I went to visit my friends at the local quilt shop/hangout!  I haven't been there is quite awhile so I had alot of catching up to do.  Got caught up on all the gossip and new going ons around town and what everyone has been up to.

While I was there, Terri told me that Melanie was in the back sewing and was "IN LOVE" with my mom's old Bernina that is now at home there.  I haven't met her before so I was excited.  I went in the back and saw her working away thread painting using  my mom's old machine. "BART" as she calls it, because my mom had engraved her last name on, Barton, after someone had broke into their house.

She is an artist who has just recently discovered fabric and thread painting.  Melanie comes down
just about everyday to sew on "Bart" since she doesn't have her own machine.  She now loves working with fabric.  She is making a "face" quilt for the Downtown Art Crawl next month. She will be the featured artist at the quilt shop.

It is hard to see here, but these are molds of faces.  I can't wait to see the finish project.

I was hesitant to let go of my mom's machine.  She had given it to me a year before she past away.

Momma wanted to make sure I got it since I was really the only one of the sister doing much sewing.

I didn't have the space at home and I knew it would just sit around collecting dust.

So Terri offered to buy it from me to use at her quilt shop.  Then I ever felt the need to go visit it I could!

Well I am over joyed to know that I am not the only one who loves that machine!

I know Momma would be proud for someone who loves fabric to be using her machine!

Can't wait to see these as finished projects!



This and That

Howdy Y'all!

It is has been WAY to long since I last posted anything.  So this post is going to be a "catch up " post.'So here we go...

I met my sister in Atlanta for the Quilting and Sewing Expo, March 9-11.  WE HAD A BLAST!  This was a first for both of us. We spent all Thursday walking around looking at everything and of course we SHOPPED!  Friday, we had three different classes.  Here is a picture of the floor area from upstairs in a classroom.

There was so much to look at. We bought some fabric, patterns, tools and knic-knacks!

Here is my favorite finds!

Now I just need to wash my truck so I can put it on.

Here is some more stuff I bought on Thursday.

I bought the sunflower fabric to make me a new purse. So I did, a couple of days ago.

I am in the middle of making a wallet to match it.

These are some of the patterns I bought.

I love this turtle one!

I am hoping to practice my free motion using this pattern

(this is a pic of the sample one hanging up)

I want to practice my applique skills on the flower pot one.

The jacket pattern, that is just for fun!

The expo had several make and take things to do.

The one that I had the most fun with was the paint sticks.

I have never used these before but now I am hooked!

I just need some more lessons! If anyone knows of some tutorials online

please share them.  I need to learn when to use these paint sticks.

I love being creative, but I don't have that "artist" bone in my body!

Give me a pattern or something to look at and I'm good to go.

Saturday after the expo, I drove down to south Atlanta to see my kids.

My son and his girlfriend took me to one of their favorite places to do some

shopping for antiques and uniques.  A place named Kudzu.

We walked in the door and saw something I just had to have!

A Pink Zebra! 

Well when I saw the $1150 price tag, I decided I didn't like it that much!

This place had everything and more.  They also had several old quilts for sale.

They had one quilt with a signature and a date on the back.

Edna A Smith  1916 

This was in really good condition to be that old.

Price tag was $189

While in Atlanta it was a bit cold, rainey and windy, but that didn't stop the fun.

One day recently at home, it had rained one night and then the temperature drop to the low thirties. The next morning when I went out to my truck, the back deck cover had frost all over it. Nothing new but this time it was very unusual!

How cool is this? The rain/frost made the back of my truck

one big snowflake!

Well that's about it for now.  I have been playing in my new sewing playground and

still love it!  The more I'm in there, the more I love it!



Sewing & Quilting Expo Atlanta GA

This Wednesday I leave NC and head to N Atlanta to my first major quilting event!  I am SOOooo Excited.  My sister Becky, is driving from NW FL to meet me.   I gave her the quilting bug a short while back.  She now has it BAD!  We are both really what I would call "Rookies" in the quilt community.
We have signed up to take a beginner free motion class and cutting and piecing for rookies.  I have made several quilts in the past three years but never have taken any quilting classes.  I am sure there are many things I will learn.  If you have been to big events like this and may have any tips that will make this experience even better, please share!

We will meet in Atlanta this Wednesday, spend Thursday exploration the expo and looking at all the exhibitors showing their latest and greatest  products and fabric.  It will be hard to decide what to buy! But rest asured, we will find something!  I wonder if I can win some lottery money before going!  I sure could use extra spending money, especially since the gas prices are going sky high! 

Friday will be our class day.  We have one in the morning and another late afternoon.  We do have a free class ticket but can't sign up until we arrive and see what is still open. There is a class on making bags I have my eye on!  We'll see.

Got to share a picture of "Daisy", we are puppy sitting her for a week.  My husband has wanted one of these Westies since that Little Ceasar commercial came out.  I'm not a little dog fan but you can't help to love this face!

Gotta Share This Link

Amazing Mystery Quilts was sponsored by American Quilter Magazine.  They had 69 entries and the are AMAZING!  I have never tried a mystery block quilt so I am not sure how they work for sure, but I want to thank all of those who did entry!  All of your hard work in so beautiful, creative and each one is different.

That is the reason I am posting this on here.  I struggle sometimes, more often than not, with choosing the right color combination for a quilt. Color does play such an important role in how it effects the appearance of your quilt and the mood it can present.

Each of the 69 quilts are the same pattern but how each person chose and put their colors together, make each one such a unique piece of art.  All 69 quilts are now posted for your enjoyment at http://www.americanquilter.com/publications/readers_contests.php?id=1&year=2011, where you can read about the quiltmakers and their  inspiration.   When you have some time to spare, take the time to go through and look at all the quilts.  It is truly amazing!

This one I absolutely love how the pattern just runs into the border. This was made

Marlene Oddie of College Place, Washington, which she titled Bordered Beyond the Block:.

Marlene has graciously offered to share her instructions to make the extra extended border for this mystery quilt pattern. Contact Marlene via her blog at http://kissedquilts.blogspot.com/

(information is from American Quilter Magazine Blogspot)

My New Quilting Playground is Finally Finished!

HURRAY!  I finally finished my new sewing room this weekend! 

It went from this Before....

to THIS... AFTER! 

Now how is that for change???

It has been a great deal of hard work and time, but it has been a

LABOR OF LOVE! 

Oh how I love this new room!  I feel like a little kid on Christmas Morning

when I walk into MY room!

Sewing Studio, Quilting Nook, Quilting Corner,

None of those sounded quite right for me.  But after things really

started coming together in the room, I decided that PLAYGROUND fit me best!

The above display Courtesy of my EQ7.

Now maybe I will spend my time learning how to use EQ7 to it's full potential!

So here are some more pictures of my Playground.

As you walk into the room, this fabric corner is on your left.

Check out the hanging file folders for fabric! How cool!

Thanks to a fellow blogger's husband for this idea.

This is my Baby! Janome 6500

These are my thimbles from Blank Quilting Surveys.

They are sitting on the shelf above my machine.

This is the back of the room. The white cat is Cotton.

The black cat is Spooker, my husband's best friend during the day.

The aren't allowed in here unless I'm in the room.

Yes the brown table goes from one side of the room to the other.

The entire room is  only 8'5" x 7'5". 

Don't ya just love Rosie the Quilter on the back wall?

The view out the window. Close up pic of the squirels. Of course the horeses

are no where to be found when you want them!

Hey see that green stuff?  That's grass so spring has got to be close.

Heck it was 81 degrees here today! in February!

This is the back corner on the right.  There is a closet just to the right.

That will be a project later on in the year.

I just love that pegboard! All your tools right at your fingertips.

How many times have I used LOVE so far? Can you tell

I really LOVE my new Playground?

 I use these mini jars of paint that you can mix any color you want.
The blue painters tape was used to mark off the patches.

This is what I had before.  I took this picture standing in the middle of the kitchen.

My sewing machine is where the dining room table should be.

The dining room room table is just to the left and was my cutting table!

All this was against one wall.

From that to This....

Can you say..... Priceless!

The Fabric of our Lives... COTTON

Recently I have seen and read several posts and blogs talking about how the price of fabric is going up due to the price of raw cotton on the rise.  I have thought about it but not watched it or really thought about it to much. Not like I keep my eye on the gas prices on a daily basis.  I constantly watch the stations and their prices on my to work and around town.  I have started to make sure I fill my truck up when I see a good lower price.  I have heard that by summer we will be back to the $4 per gallon mark!  UGH!

Well earlier today, my sister and I were exchanging emails and of course discussing quilting etc.  This post is because of something she said.  She told me that her husband made the comment to her that he had heard the price of cotton was continuing to rise, and then he said... get this...."So it might be a great time to stock up on fabric!"  WOW!  What a Guy!   Honestly ladies, how many of you out there would expect to hear your husband to you to go buy more fabric you don't really need!  HA!  I know mine wouldn't!

So this got me to really think about fabric prices, the current price of raw cotton and what is the cause of the increase.  I did a couple of internet searches and found a few interesting facts I thought I would share.  Not only is our fabric prices go up but so are prices of jeans and t-shirts! Alot of these increase are all due to weather related issues.

Since February 2010, prices for corn and wheat have doubled because of crop issues, driving up the cost of livestock feed and, thus, the wholesale cost of meat.

The price for cotton has skyrocketed to a record $1.91 a pound, when it rarely exceeds $1. Blame growing demand for cotton in China, massive flooding affecting the cotton crop in Pakistan and export restrictions in India, according to the Financial Times.

Prices for raw sugar cane have risen 75 percent since May, in part because of less-than-expected sugar yields in Brazil as well as flooding and a cyclone this month in Australia, resulting in the worst sugar crop in nearly 20 years.

And coffee prices are at their highest in about 14 years because of a lackluster coffee bean harvest in Brazil, heavy rains harming Colombia’s coffee crop and, possibly, investors bidding up commodity prices. Colombian coffee beans are selling for about $3 a pound, compared with about $2 a year ago.                         Here is the link where I found this info  http://www.granitefallsnews.com/lifestyle/food/x1694032909/Global-crop-weather-problems-bring-price-hikes-to-US

Another site I found interesting and more quilter friendly.. http://www.americanquiltretailer.com/cotton/

Now you have good reason to stock up on fabric!  So go support your local quilt shop!

Painted Pegboard for my new room!

So let me know what ya think?

I wanted to hang a pegboard up in my quilting room so I could hang up tools,

rulers, scissors and just whatever.  The pegboard was that yucky brown color when I bought it.

So I painted it the antique white like the walls.  I had to add some color in that room

so I thought why not paint colorful patterns for the background on the pegboard.

Voila!  here is the result.

Thought it, bought it, painted it all about 6 hours.

I'll post some more pictures of how I did it sometime tonight!

Look what I found at Lowes!

I have decided I enjoy shopping at Lowes far more that WalMart!   My hubby needed  to get a couple of things for the new chicken coop he is building.  I really can't wait until we can get more chickens.  Nothing like fresh eggs everyday!  Oh course I didn't mind going for him as I wanted to get a piece of pegboard and the hooks for my new quilting room.  While I was walking around looking for what I needed and everything else in that store.... I saw this and couldn't help but take a picture to post here.

WHOA!  Who knew Olfa would be found in the hardware store!

These are blades for cutting carpet, vinyl etc.  Now if Lowes would only sell the Olfa rotary blades!

I had just bought a new cutting knife last week or I would have bought this just 'cause!

TIRED! but making progress in sewing studio

I'm making progress!  I managed to get things in place in me new sewing studio. I really got to figure out another name to call it as Sewing Studio just doesn't fit me quite right.  Floor tiles down, walls painted,

tables moved into place, wire shelves put together, computer up and running, and most important, sewing machine in place and plugged in!

I really wanted my sewing machine on this side of the table but the chair I have is

a bit to low to be comfortable.  So for now it my cutting boards will be here. I need to make a

pressing area in the middle I guess.

So for now my machine will be on this side of the room. Can you see my EQ7 on

the computer screen?  I might even take more time to try and learn how to use EQ7 now.

There are bird feeders out side the window so I can watch the birds, squirells and the horses.

I still have a lot to do yet.  Tomorrow I am going back to Lowes and get the pegboard for the wall.

Here are my shelving in the opposite corner. Now I just have to move all my fabric and stuff

from the other area in the kitchen onto these shelves.

I have got to get some color in here.  Bright white is nice but, Here is a cup and saucer I found at

a Habitat store.  I thought the colors were great and the pattern had a quilty kinda look.

Not sure how and where I will add some color.

I have to admit.... I am THRILLED with my new room  just for me!

Time for a Quilting Vacation!

I can't wait!  My sister, Becky and I are going to meet in Atlanta this March for

Original Sewing & Quilting EXPO

This will be so much fun!  We will meet Wednesday in Atlanta at the hotel and then get up and hit the convention center Thursday Morning.  Can you say SHOPPING???

We have classes booked on Friday and then we will head back home on Saturday.   This is the closest location between us, I'm in NC and she is in FL. 

One day I would really like to go to the AQS show in Paducah! 

But as a newbie in the quilt world, This will be a wonderful, fun-filled learning experience!

 I can't wait!  Getting to spend this time with my sister, priceless!

So is anyone else out there going to this event?  I would love to meet up just to say HI !



Happy Valentine's Day!
This is me and my Valentine's Day Roses sent to me by my Valentine for Life, My hubby Alan.
I love you Alan!    

My New Sewing Studio -- A work in progress!

A couple of weeks I was doing some decorative stitching and the "noise" got on my DH's nerves while he was trying to watch TV.  SO... I decided to do something I should have done a long time ago.
I decided to turn our spare room or "JUNK" room into my own Sewing Studio!   This is going to be a major undertaking but I am up to the challenge!  Here is what it looked like before I got started.

A First Class JUNK ROOM!  Ugh! 

I got to where I avoided even walking in this room for the longest kinda time.

Now here is a picture after a bit of a clean up.

Took forever to get all the old carpet and padding ripped up!

Still had to go back and get the carpet staples out of the floor along the wall.

Newly Painted Walls!  Still have lots of junk on the table in the middle of the room.

(sorry for the dark picture)

New Peel & Stick Tile! Still have to do the ones along the wall but I have to cut those to fit.

Now it is back to work on Monday so this working on this will have to take a back seat till the weekend.

The good thing about this is that it will be my sewing studio for me and BUILT BY ME!

I am doing ALL the work!  and it feels so good!

(somebody needs to tell my achy body and hands that!)

I'll post more as the progress goes on!