I Just Did It !!!

 I'll bet EVERYONE is happy to see February retreat and a new month, with new promises, take its place.

 

A lot of crazy weather from BIG snow in the Pacific Northwest to BIG rain on the west coast and tornadoes in the South! 
March, bring us some nice, mild Spring weather...pretty please?

Here in my 'Ol Kentucky Duplex.. my 9 to 5 has been crazy busy...but the weather has been quite pleasant.

The only newsy-news of late is I FINISHED the American Patchwork & Quilting UFO Challenge for February.  I just need to find a LAQ in my new city and get it quilted.  This will be a lap quilt for my S-I-L who is battling cancer and in the midst of chemo therapy.

The blocks were left over from another project and I didn't get too creative with the border...I just focused on gettin 'er done!

It feels SO good to finish something...I highly recommend it!!

March's number for the UFO Challenge is #11.  My number 11 is to make a wall hanging for my long-time-California friends who bought a trailer.  They travel to Reno a lot to visit their daughter and her family...I thought something cute for their mobile diggs wall would be fun.

Missouri Star Quilt Company has a YouTube tutorial to make a cute, cute, cute "Glamper" quilt.  One block would be a quick and easy wall hanging and maybe a pillow???  Click HERE for the Tutorial.

Isn't it that just too cute?!  I'll be traveling to California in April and I can go bearing gifts!

 

Field Trip!!

While Millie is at the spa, Miss Ellie and I are spending time together in the studio working on this month's UFO Challenge.

But, while browsing on FB Market Place, looking for a table, I came across .....

I shall name her "Baby Doll"

I decided it would be a nice little machine for my grand-niece, Savannah.  Savannah has decided she wants to learn to sew....not necessarily quilt...(there is plenty of time to get her addicted to quilting.)

Back story:  While the family was here in P-town for dad's Home Going last October, I gave Savannah the "toy" machine I had purchased a couple years ago so I'd have something to do while staying with my dad...refresh your memory HERE. 
It is an OK machine...it will get the job done. 
But, really it is a toy.

 

Savanah took it home and her g-ma (my eldest sister) helped her get started.

Truth be told, I always felt a little bad that I gave a budding sewist such a  toy.

So, today, my baby sister and I drove out to Elkton, KY and picked up the above machine, that I'm hoping is a bit better.

I looked up the model number on line and I think I got an OK deal.  It is quite dirty and unkept so first-things-first...
a good cleaning.

Your score card:

Back to the story.... Elkton KY is more than an hour from where we live so Joy and I decided to explore the area.

We found a quilt shop in Hopkinsville.  It is in an historic building and run by a mennonite woman, Irene.  She had a nice selection of fabrics and the prices were excellent, $5 per yard of the yardage I inspected.  But the best part was all the quilts they had made and hand quilted...all for sale!  They were beautiful.

 

 

Clearly this is not a shop you would stumble upon...it's not even on the main street of Hopkinsville.  But while we were there a local woman came in to buy several yards of fabric, greeting each other by first name.  Certainly the locals know about this gem.  It would be worth the drive back, shopping list in hand.

 

Our final stop before heading home for a nap was BBQ at The Wood Shed in Hopkinsville.  One of those local restaurants where everyone seems to know your name...and the food is yummy.

Rules for Success

 

 

 

Psssst....pass it on!  The quilting auntie, Nyla wasn't joking. 
"DON'T SEW OVER PINS!!"

 

I'm nothing if not obedient....pretty much...I never met a rule I didn't like. 
It's in my DNA.  

 

But, sometimes accidents happen and then you lose
a day-and-a-half of quilting. 

Millie, as in "Thoroughly Modern...."

EEEEKKKKKK!!!  Error "E3".  I tried everything I knew
to clear the error...which really means
turn off the machine, then turn it back on
and then search the internet.

The internet consensus was "...take it in..."

Of course it is late on a Saturday afternoon.  In KY A LOT of businesses are closed on Sunday.

 Miss Ellie, the matriarch.

 

 

 

Sunday afternoon/evening was spent setting up Miss Ellie. (Isn't it the truth...the older generation always comes to the rescue.)

I'm ashamed to say it has been so long since I've sewn on Miss Ellie that I needed to oil her up....and I've forgotten.... 

How to oil
How to thread
How to wind a bobbin
How to insert the bobbin
....which way does the needle go on a Featherweight?

Watched a bunch of videos from The Featherweight Shop.  (Can't say enough good things about these people.  A lot of their content is free.)

 

So, now Miss Ellie is all set up and ready to go.  This evening, after work, I can start sewing again.  I'll call English's Sew and Vac and make an appointment....they are way out in Reidland...a 20-min drive! (That's a long way in these parts.)

And, speaking of the Quilting Auntie...more than one Super Bowl Sunday was spent visiting quilt shops while the men-folk watched their game.....HERE  February 8, 2016.  How I miss her.  And she was the ultimate rule-follower.

Me, Auntie and Gail

Quilted 'Til We Wilted

 

FSNG* got together for a Quilt 'Til We Wilt day.  We gossiped, we ate, we sewed and quilted, we taught....we wilted....we went our separate ways ... I napped.

 

 

 

 

 

Binding and hand sewing seemed to be the big
focus of the day.  (Wonder what they're talking about...hope it's not me...)

Teaching the youngest Q girl how to make a "sandwich" and then quilt it on her Brother.  Sent her home with "Q" homework.  

Next gathering she will learn to bind.

(Notice the pressing table in the background...keep reading...)

 

 

 

 

As you can see on my design floor, I made progress on my American Patchwork and Quilting UFO Challenge for February.  I'm using left-over squares from the Violet Hill Layer Cake I used for my sister, Renee's, quilt (2021). 

I recently learned my S-I-L is very ill...I think I'll gift this to her.

 

 

 

 

Served up yummy (homemade) soup.

Andi brought  yummy (homemade) dill bread,
and the hostess kept the left overs....

 

My new Duplex acquisition....a kitchen island for meal prep...AND doubles as a big pressing table!!! 
TWO for the price of ONE!  Winner, Winner!  (How many finished "Winner, Winner" with "Chicken Dinner"....ha ha ha ha)

At the end of the day....it was time for a nice long nap.

 

P.S.  I think I might have my quilting mojo back...
but, I don't want to speak too soon...
and, I do have a killer work-week coming up.

*FSNG = First Saturday Needle Group
**D.H. = Dear Handiman

February Needs a Holiday...or Two!

November has Thanksgiving
December has Christmas AND New Years....then we settle in for a long, dreary, cold winter until Memorial Day.

But Wait.....February has February 2nd.....So much happening on February 2nd!

 

 

 

We have Groundhog Day!!

 

We have National Ukulele Day!!!

Read about Ukulele Mike and Ukulele Day HERE.

Ukulele Mike even wrote a special song for this day:

With Just Four Stings...listen HERE. 

AND, it is my bestie's wedding anniversary!

Happy 43rd to the Valentines!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh!  I almost forgot the happiest day of all....it is my son's 40th birthday in a few days! 

 Time to Celebrate!!!