Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Quilt Show Vendors Are The Best!

While I enjoy the quilt show exhibits and find a lot to inspire me, it is the vendors I like best.  What can I say, my husband will tell you I was born to shop!

I took my Fabric Hoarder tote bag to the show, along with a certain feeling of liberation brought on by having destashed a little earlier in the week.  But I refrained from going wild; in fact, I did not buy much.  I was looking for layer cakes from some of the new fabric collections but did not see any (lots of charm packs available though).  I picked up a selection of fat quarters of red Kaffe Fassett prints, to go with the yellow, green, and blue I bought last year.  I have something in mind for these and needed to round out my supply.

 
 
And I made a couple of impulse pattern purchases.  These patterns came from different vendors.  The pattern on the right is for an iPad case.  The vendor had a sample made up and I liked it better than the case I have now.  It looks fairly easy to make and will be a way to use some of the pretty fabric I have in my stash.  I'm thinking of making some as Christmas gifts too.


The pattern on the left uses jelly roll strips wrapped around batting and woven.  The pattern is officially for a purse or wallet but I checked out the sample and think it can easily be adapted to iPad or Kindle size.  I have some batik jelly rolls I bought on my trip to Hawaii that I might use for this project.  Stay tuned.  The vendor I bought this pattern from had devoted their entire space to Aunties Two patterns, with many samples made up, plus all the supplies like the batting and clothes line you need to make them.  I've seen some of the patterns before but never made any.  They are cleverly designed and can take on a more conservative look when made with a more subtle color palette.

It looks like I have enough to keep busy.


Monday, September 22, 2014

Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza XXI

On Friday, I took a day off work and went to the big quilt show in Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza XXI.  It is held in suburban Philadelphia (or "Philly" as it is referred to around here), a bit over an hour from my house. 

Here are some photos of the exhibit quilts I liked best. 


Fall Feathers by Sandi McMillan
Lovely feathered star blocks and pieced sashing. 
You can see it won a blue ribbon. 
Feathered star is on my quilt bucket list.
 
 


 
Close-up of the feathered star block, above, and border, below.
 
 



 
Hubble, by Ellen Simmons
From a Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. pattern of the same name.
Kaffe Fassett fabrics and the bright teal background,
plus fantastic custom quilting by Jane Hauprich.
 
Inspiring to see a quilt with such an unusual background color.
 

 
Spirit of Valor, by Gina Shevchenko
Lemoyne Star blocks enlivened by intricate custom quilting
 

 
Harvest Baskets, by Deborah Johnson
From a Blackbird Designs pattern.
This was machine appliqued; I could not see a stitch!


 
Let's Do the Dresden Twist, by Teri L. Cherne
I love the design as well as the unusual scalloped edge.
A Dresden in this style (rather than round plates) is on my quilt bucket list.
 
 
Back tomorrow with a post on my quilt show "loot."


Thursday, September 18, 2014

Now For The Fabric

Sewing room clean-up continues, with a focus on fabric stash containment.  I know I have more fabric than I will ever use.  Here are a few things I want to send to a new home.  Description and price below each photo.

 
7 fat quarters from Rouenneries Deux by French General for Moda
$20, includes domestic (US) postage - SOLD
 


 
16 fat quarters Gingham Rose by  3 Sisters for Moda (light blue and ecru colorway)
I must have liked this because I bought fat quarters on three separate occasions. 
Among the 16, there are 3 of the paisley print, 2 of the tiny gingham check,
2 of the tone-on-tone and 2 of a tiny vine print.
 
$40, includes domestic (US) postage - SOLD
 



1 yard Willow Mews by Judy Sabanek for RJR;
I bought it to go with the Gingham Rose, above. 
It is red on ecru, with wedgewood blue accents.
 
$7, includes domestic postage
 
 



Holiday Chorus by Nacny Davis Murty for Andover Fabrics
Panel 40" by 48", includes 12 bird "plates" each 12" square,
with floral border along both selveges.
 
$7, includes domestic postage
 

 
Happy Holidays panel by Nancy Halvorsen for Benartex.
23" by 42" - includes alphabet A to Z (part was left out of the photo)
Very cute and these panels are great for practicing machine quilting.
 
$5, includes domestic postage -  SOLD
 

 
Sweet Geraniums II by FreeSpirit - 4 yards
I love these wallpaper stripe designs and have several in my stash.  They make great borders. 
This piece has 4 repeats of the wide floral stripe and 5 repeats of the narrow leaf stripe. 
The colors are gorgeous!
 
$28, includes domestic postage
 

 
Abbey Road #2227 by Ro Gregg for Northcott Quest for a Cure
2 yards scroll print in light blue and off-white, silky finish
 
$16, inlcudes domestic postage
 


 
3 coordinating pieces: 
yellow is Cherry Lane by RJR - 2 yard piece;
yellow dots on white is by Dena Designs for In The Beginning - just over 1.5 yards;
aqua dots on white is Dena Designs for In The Beginning, - just over 1.5 yards 
(3 pieces total 5+ yards)
 
$33, includes domestic postage
 
 
 
Mary Rose MR1030R-13 by Quilt Gate
3 yards rose floral on ecru background, shabby chic look
 
$20, includes domestic postage - SOLD
 
 
If you would like any of these items, leave a comment telling me what you want.  I will send you an invoice via Paypal (or you can mail payment directly to me if you prefer).  Just be sure you are not "no reply" in Blogger/Google so I can respond to your comment via email.
 

 


Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Cleaning Out - Magazine Deaccession

So, I started the sewing room clean-up.  So far, I've gone through my quilting books and magazines.  There's no getting around it, I have limited space, and must deaccession some of my collection or else live with piles of clutter. 

I'm offering these things to you here; if they don't sell here, I'll try eBay later.  Description and price is below each photo.  If you want something, leave a comment; I will reply with an invoice via Paypal (if you would rather send cash through the mail, that's ok, just let me know). 

Books and magazines for now but I'm sure some fabic will make its way here soon.


Often referred to as the "happy Japanese quilt book," this paperback has instructions for many different small blocks, similar to the Farmer's Wife blocks that were popular a while back.  The book also features many small projects and the quilt shown in the photo below.  The book is entirely in Japanese but has detailed photos plus line drawings accompanying the directions.  I've found I can figure most things out from the pictures and the numbers.  And it's so dang cute to look at!
 
$20 plus $5.75 shipping to US address - SOLD
 

 

 
Four issues of Australian Homespun magazine (No. 76, 77, 78, 80)
 
$20 plus $12.65 shipping to US address
 

 
Five issues of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine
(April 2011, August 2011, October 2013, April 2009, February 2004)
You can see my version of the lower right cover quilt, Frequent Flyer, here.
 
$10 plus $12.65 shipping to US address
 


Four issues of Quilts and More
(Fall 2008, Summer 2009, Summer 2008, Fall 2013)
and McCalls Quick Quilts April/May 2012.
 

$10 plus $12.65 shipping to US address
 


 
Ten issues of McCall's Quilting: 
four December/Xmas issues (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013);
plus March/April 2010, july/Aug 2011, March/April 2012,
Jan/Fab 2012, Jan/Feb 2013, Sept/Oct 2011
The issue on the lower right contains the Dresden Doily pattern.
 
$20 plus $12.65 shipping to US address
 
*******************************
 
I need to find another way to store some of my finished quilts.  You can only put so many on the spare bed before it takes on a Princess and the Pea look.  What do you do with your finished quilts?
 
 


 


Monday, September 15, 2014

More Colors

I was on a business trip to Los Angeles last week so no time to quilt or sew or do anything creative.  By the weekend, I badly needed some vitamin Q and, fortunately, was able to spend a few hours in my sewing room on Saturday.


I completed 12 more braid blocks in some new colors.  I've made two blocks from each of the 16 colors I bought (almost all are solid Kona cottons).  My next step is to cut more strips because I am planning on a 64 block quilt.

I've decided to spend some time in the evenings this week cleaning out my sewing room.  Once again, it is very messy and I have stacks of stuff on the spare bed to put away.  I'd like to get it neat and tidy once again. 

Friday, September 12, 2014

Friday Find - PB2

Have you heard of PB2?  It's a new discovery for me and I am loving it!


PB2 is dry peanut butter; basically, peanut butter with the fat removed.  It is a dry powder you can use as is or mix with water and use in some recipes that call for peanut butter.  The advantage is fewer calories; one tablespoon has ony 45 calories.  I find it really does taste like peanuts, but does not have the creamy mouthfeel of regualr peanut butter when mixed with water.  I've been using it to make a breakfast smoothie that keeps me full until lunch.

Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie

1 c. chocolate almond milk (unsweetened)
1/2 c. vanilla yogurt
2 T. PB2
1 small banana (or half a large banana)

Combine in blender and drink. 

The PB+J variantion is to skip the yogurt and add 1 cup of fresh or frozen (unsweetened) berries instead. 

I buy my PB2 at a Mrs. Green's Natural Market, however, I don't think they are a national chain.  You can also buy it from Amazon.com.  And there are lots of recipes for using PB2 on the internet.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Braid Quilt Update

24 blocks are done (20 shown here).  The photo was taken in poor lighting; the colors are more vibrant than they look here.  And I have some bright greens to add next. 



Miss Main Street went back to college last week so I've reclaimed her bed as the quilt bed.  But before she left, she saw some of the blocks and said she likes it, so I'm thinking of making it big enough to fit her bed.  That means 64 blocks.  Better get to work!

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Quilt Sampler Fall 2014

Those of you who are regular readers here know how much I like the Quilt Sampler magazine.  It provides me with an afternoon or evening of quilt-themed entertainment when each new issue comes out.

 
 
The latest issue (Fall 2014) is extra exciting because it features my LQS, Pennington Quilt Works.  The store is definitely worth a visit if you are ever in the area (Central NJ, near where Washington crossed the Delaware).  The store has a fresh vibe with fabric for both the traditional and modern quilter.  It is the meeting place for a Modern Quilt Guild group but I haven't been able to make it to a meeting yet.


I particularly like the store's project for the magazine, called Modern Marvel.  I saw it in the store; the quilting in wavy lines is perfect for the design and looks like something I might be able to do with my walking foot. 

 
 
There's nine more stores covered in this issue, all interesting.  But I'm partial to one in particular!