Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Some Cities are Wakingn Up - - - Slowly

Arriving....while I've been to Paducah many times over the years, I've always flown into Nashville and driven the two-plus hours to Paducah.  This time I decided to pay the extra $$ and fly direct.  This airport is even smaller than Walla Walla, Washington! (Which has two flights a day back-and-forth to Seattle.)  Paducah has only one flight a day--to/from Chicago.

 


 

 

You know you are in a small-ish town when you can call the taxi driver at home...
Population and information about Paducah HERE


The Family...After hugs all around and my nephew, Wilbur, leaves for home in Nashville, Daddy and I settle in.

Sunday we went to one of his favorite places for lunch,  Waffle Hut, where everyone is polite and calls you "ma-am."  Honestly, I miss that!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Plan...Then came Monday...Yeah!  I made my plan ... walk the dog,  hop over to Hancock's and pick my fabrics for The Horse, maybe stop for a yummy coffee....

 

Woah....Not so fast there, Bucky.....

While normally I would never actually buy quilt fabric at JoAnn Fabric, the thought did cross my mind...except the closest JoAnns is 173 miles away!!

Ok, well, let's see what they have at Hobby Lobby.

Of course, Hobby Lobby has A LOT of stuff (including all decked out for Christmas) but not much fabric.  Certainly not what I'm looking for.  Strike Two!

The Hobby Lobby lady suggested: "try Calico Country, ma'am. They're just down the road a-piece." Taking her advice, I drove on over since it was close by.  NOPE! Closed. Strike Three--You're Out!

 

 

 

Quite disappointed I had about decided to give up on The Horse altogether until I return home (and Charlotte-the-Tall could help me pick fabrics) but decided to check out the National Quilt Museum and buy some post cards for my besties.  Chatting with the gift shop volunteer she suggested Backyard Fabric in Mayfield (an hour away.) 

A Google search took me to their Facebook page.  I sent them a message asking if they had Grunge fabric and they answered YES!  And they are OPENWe're back up to bat!  I can hardly contain myself! I'd go today except daddy wants to go to his second favorite place to eat, Hutchins, and he is not interested in a road trip.

When sissy returns from her respite on Thursday we'll have a sisters afternoon out. Auditions, here we come!   I'll treat Joy to lunch.

TO BE CONTINUED.....

Friday, September 25, 2020

After lo these many months

 ... I'm actually hopping on a plane and traveling.  

Traveling Music HERE 

Where am I headed?  QUILT CITY U.S.A.!!!  Paducah, Kentucky

This is not my first trip to Paducah.  The Quilting-Auntie and I have made this pilgrimage more than once.

These are some of my favorite pictures -- Sisters -- now there are only two.

The AQS National Quilt Show is not the biggest draw for me in Paducah.  I have family.  My Sister (and her hubby) and dad live there so even if there is no "Q" show, I try to get there a couple times a year.  Because of COVID I have not been there since Spring 2019.  So, I'll bite the bullet, mask up and fly away.  Sissy needs a break (dad lives with her) and I need to see my daddy-o.


Because Baby Sis will be skipping town for a break and because my dad does not venture out much these days, I will have a fair amount of time on my hands.  I cannot take Miss Ellie (1953 Singer Featherweight) because it is a carry-on and I'm already carrying on my Ukulele so I need to work on a project I can pack in my suit case.


The Horse by Emily Taylor

This will be a birthday gift for my daughter, June 2021.

Other Paducah places of interest:
National Quilt Museum
Hancock of Paducah
Downtown Floodwall Murals
Mellow Mushroom Pizza


Monday, September 21, 2020

Let Me Count The Ways

How many different quilt sites are you following on Facebook?  I bet I follow a dozen, or more.  Some because I want to learn more about that designer, or technique.  Some because I just plain like them.  Here are a few of my favorites:

 

Sew Very Easy:  I LIKE this lady!  She is probably one of my most favorites.
Her YouTube videos are always informative and she has a nice voice, as well as beautiful hands!  A recent YouTube video is a tour of her sewing studio.  Watch it HERE.

 

 

 

Panel Quilts:  I'll admit, I do use panels.  Some are just too cute to pass up.  Some I use for quick baby quilts, such as the one I just finished last night. So, what do you do with a panel to cute-it-up? 
Lots of ideas here.


Here is a quilt I made for my great-niece in 2014, Olivia.  And I recently found this panel again by posting on this site and asking if anyone had it!  Surprise!  Not only did someone have it, she sent it to me FOR FREE!  Gotta love it!

 
 
 
 
 

Scrap Quilt Enthusiasts:  Because scraps happen. When I was a little girl living in Southern California, we'd drive past this "disappearing mountain."  I was fascinated by its shrinking and the bulldozers working, moving "earth" around.  It was called Lime Mountain.  I learned it was part of a cement-making plant and Lime Mountain would eventually disappear altogether.  

Even though I've given away a mountain of scraps lately, unlike Lime Mountain
Mt. Scrapmore rebuilds itself!  More-and-more scraps by the minute!  Start here for ideas.

Speaking of scraps, Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville Studio: Who hasn't been inspired by Bonnie Hunter?! Her website has TONS of free patterns and a new mystery quilt each year.  You've seen this one before;  completed by Charlotte-the-Tall a couple of years ago.  On Ringo Lake.  We teased Miss Charlotte to no end about the number of HST and flying geese she made for this quilt.

 

Getting Started - Quilting with Westalee Rulers:  Learning to free motion quilt has been on my bucket list for a long time.  I've been inspired by these rulers....haven't actually purchased any yet. 
Click HERE for a YouTube video.

 Jen Kingwell Designs and Gypsy Wife Quilt Group I liked the Gypsy Wife the very first time I saw it ... at a Desert Lily's Quilt Show in Yuma, AZ with the quilting Auntie.  I have the pattern, it is still on my UFO list ... one of these days....  

Truth be told, I like ALL Jen Kingwell patterns!

 

Quilting Free Patterns: What more needs to be said.... FREE pretty much says it all. 
Plus I do get inspiration.


Here is a log cabin from this site that I really, really like. 
I love the colors.

Even though I could figure out the pattern  and color placement with EQ8*, it's nice to have someone do the heavy thinking for me.

 

Click Here for the pattern. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Last, but certainly not least, Quilt Along with Pat Sloan: If you like L-O-T-S of content, this is the site for you.  Lots of questions, lots of patterns.  

Pat, herself, reads these posts and often answers.  Hats off to her!




I could go on...but, truly, there is no end.  Check out some of these. 
You may pick up a new skill or even a new favorite.



*Electric Quilt 8
 

Sunday, September 13, 2020

A Label by Any Other Name....

There is a reason we label cans in our pantry.  Without labels on the cans you'd be having apple pie filling and garbanzo beans for supper.  

Labels are a very important piece of your quilt heritage.  When my Quilting-Auntie Nyla got me addicted, one of her rules
(after "save ALL your scraps") was "always label your quilts."  

She had specific things that needed to be on the label, mostly.

 

 

Name of the pattern.

Who pieced it and where they live.

Who quilted it and where they live.

Message to the recipient.

The date.





There are soooooooooo many ways to label a quilt.  Go to Pinterest and search for "quilt label ideas." 

There is no end to the ideas.


I agree with the Quilting-Auntie.  Label your quilts.  When my mom passed nearly four years ago and my sister was sorting through all her worldly treasures, one of her questions to me was "Do you recognize this quilt?  There is no label."  No, I did not recognize it.  I hadn't create it.  I was involved in most everything Auntie made and it didn't look familiar.  No idea where it came from.  Sissy sold it in a garage sale. (Confession:  I did make a lap quilt for my mom a number of years back.  It was the ugliest thing: that rag-quilt style with little pigs all over....I didn't label it.  I was embarrassed.  But, my nephew found it among mom's things and claimed it...bless him.)

There is no wrong way to label a quilt.  I like to print mine on Computer Printer Fabric and include a picture.  

Here are a couple of  my examples:


This was attached to a quilt you can see HERE.


This label was attached to a quilt you can see HERE.

 

 

My quilting friend, Dawn of First Light Designs has her own style for labels.  Her labels are round.  HERE is a link to one of her blog posts about labels.  

I'm actually going to go back and read this particular blog page more carefully.  I tried the freezer paper method and it did not work for me.  Obviously I missed something.  I'm going to give it another try.


Labels do not have to be difficult or time consuming.  If you can stand just one more YouTube video, watch this one by Jenny at Missouri Star Quilt Company about pre-printed label panels.




Here is one of Auntie's.  Short and sweet.  
She used my childhood nick name.

So, take the advice of the Quilting Auntie....
Label Your Quilt.

 

 

 

 

This photo is from Auntie's younger days. 

 

 


Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Putting the "Labor" in Labor Day

When my children were young Labor Day weekend was always the weekend we prepared the yard and gardens for winter; pulling weeds, spreading my secret mixture of peat moss, Johnny Jump-up seeds and slug bait.  They would moan and groan and whine "WHY do WE have to do this????"  To which I'd say "Do you know what LABOR means?"

 

My little bungalow.  Truth be told, I miss my garden.
Spent countless hours pulling weeds.
It's good to get on your knees from time-to-time.
 

Of Course, the unofficial end of summer and a day to work your kids was not the original intent of Labor Day. 
Click HERE to read the history.

I considered a short Labor Day get-away, but it's been a busy time at work and I decided it was too much preparation and work to leave town, and where would I go, anyway?  Not only that,  I do know what LABOR means.
Just look at this L-O-N-G list of things to do.

 

Despite the record-breaking heat (and fires filling the air with smoke!) I managed to cross off quite a number of items from my list...spent some time in the studio ... made a trip to the fabric store ... even spent some time with The Babes.  

All-in-all a nice weekend. I am refreshed and ready to tackle the last quarter of this crazy year.


 


*If you're interested in purchasing....click HERE

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

We've Come This Far by Faith

 An old gospel tune from my Bible College days... Get your toes tappin HERE.

But, isn't it the truth?  Haven't we all had to trust that eventually we would get back to normal... some type of normal?

 

Portland, OR (my hometown, still.)

The falling leaves, drift by my window.
The autumn leaves of red and gold.

And now, a new chapter.  Summer is done (even if the temps stay up in the 80's).  School has begun for most districts,
such as it is....whatever it is....(for my g-sons, it is distance learning until January.)

Time to change the quilt on the bed....

Quilting-Auntie, Nyla's Calendar Quilt
All applique.  Needle-turn was her favorite thing to do.
Auntie gifted this to me almost 10 years ago.


 

Time to change the hanger on the door...


 

Time to decide on what will actually get finished in the sewing studio this year...

The Line Up Now:

Two rag dolls.  Purchased the panels at Orange Quilt Bee a few months back on a Needlers road trip, remember?.

 

Passiflora

Cloth dolls for the Litt'l Miss  (If time permits.)

 


A baby quilt (baby due in November)

Miss Kate gave me this panel, with corresponding fabrics.
 

One big-sister quilt (originally meant to be a Christmas Quilt*.  Still needs binding.)

 


Lap Quilt for bestie, Jennifer (also originally a Christmas Quilt*.  Still needs binding.)


 

Finally, the Studio needs a good cleaning.  I usually do this once a year, that last week just before New Years when all the Christmas sewing is finished and gifted and my work-for-money is slow.

There it is, folks.  The rest of this crazy year all planned out....Lord willin... 

And for my friends and family in the South...this one is for you!  HERE


*The original plan for Christmas Quilts was scratched. 

**Nat King Cole Autumn Leaves