Mooned

No sooner did I drive in my driveway from my road trip when my favorite niece and her D.H. arrived for a visit. 
You've met Desiree in previous posts...HERE, HERE and HERE.  

She and Kevin came to town to visit Joy (my baby sister) and me, to celebrate Joy's birthday
AND because Paducah is in the total-eclipse pathway.  HERE

 

Total Eclipse BBQ party...with homemade ice cream!

It was totally cool....I wish we'd been in an area for a longer "block out" time. Paducah had only about 2.5 minutes.

A trip to downtown Paducah for lunch and shopping, with a stop at Muppin's Sewing Emporium (my home-away-from-home these days.)  And, of course, we purchased fabric for a new project.  It is an easy one*, and we have already started it ...
with a plan for finishing, via Zoom.

Introducing the Coffin Handbag by Seamingly Wicked. HERE

Here is Muppins' sample using Tula Pink fabric; Night Shade Deja Vu Coven. 
For the person in your life who likes this sort of style.  

Honestly, made from a different fabric, it would not be so "goth."

Cut all the pieces.

We made plastic cutting templates using the cutting mats found in the kitchen section at the Dollar Tree.

Organize everything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zippers are assembled...the zipper itself was easy...adding the pulls was a bit painful.  If I were going to make this bag again...and I might...it would be worth it to buy a zipper jig.

Watch the  zipper pull YouTube Video before you waste a bunch of time..This video was very helpful. HERE

The designer of this bag assembles it differently than I would, so I will reach out to Cheryl and see how she assembled it.  HERE is the video for assembling the bag.  HERE is a video for an alternative assembly option....Stay tuned. 

This will be a Quinceañera** gift for Gabrielle, one of the grands. 
I think this is a cute bag for a teen.  (I hope Gabbz thinks so.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Well, not so easy, as it turns out.

*Quinceañera, the celebration of a girl's 15th birthday, marking her passage from girlhood to womanhood, although I hard think 15 is a WOMAN....she is still a baby in my book.  HERE

Let the Fun Begin!!

Zooming off to exotic places!

I LOVE Road Trips! 

Cruisin' down the interstate, watching the beautiful
landscape zip by (especially NEW landscape),
singing along to my favorite tunes, playing air ukulele....
don't forget a good book-on-tape!!

While not happening often, but when it does I embrace the experience. 
I like to make lists, create maps and plan my starting points and stopping points.
Is there anything worth seeing along the way????

Side Story:  Once-upon-a-time the kids and I took a road trip from Portland to Smith River...about 5 hours. 
It took us 12 hours because we stopped at every interesting rock in the road.  It was totally fun!

Here are some memorable Road Trips:

January 14, 2018--Yuma, AZ to help Auntie Nyla with the Desert Lily Quilters annual Quilt Show.
May 17, 2018--from Portland, OR back to So. Cal. in my new car with Miss Charlotte-the-Tall.
June 27, 2021--Traveling with My Babes. (Man, I miss that van...I could kick myself for not keeping it!)
July 7, 2021--Off to Vegas and the Quilting Niece, Dez.

And Now--my very first Road Trip through the Southern States!  (It won't be my last!*)

I've been planning this trip for weeks and have A LOT of along-the-way adventures just waiting to happen:
PEOPLE, PLACES and THINGS!!

Buckle Up!  Click Here for a Blast from the Past to leave you with a smile.**

*  I'll let you in on a little secret....I've set my retirement date....I can't reveal the date until I've informed the bosses....
So, more road trips to come!!

**Did you catch it?  Bugs playing the Uku? 😁

Exchanging My Babes for Vegas Peeps

A quilt-related weekend and more visiting.

Felicia and her two youngens.

Elder Sister, Neva

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How long does it take to finish a quilt you're not working on???? 
We all know the answer to that.... because we're all just as guilty....

The Quilting niece and I spent two days getting her back on track with a UFO she started more than FIVE YEARS AGO! 
Well, I have UFOs that are at least that old...so I guess I can't judge.  We worked on this quilt my last trip to Vegas ...
July, 2021

But she is back on track now and hopefully can get it finished without me sitting next to her, cracking the whip.  Big progress has been made; the last two blocks are now done, the layout planned with sashing and corner stones,  and the quilting and binding plan made, Sew Yeah* has finishing services and the cost is very reasonable.

Slow and Steady wins the race...but you do have to be IN the race...just sayin, keep at it.

First Row

 

 

 

We quilters are often asked to "help" with garment projects. (Which really means...."can you do this for me"...)  My sister asked me to help her finish a night gown for her granddaughter.

I had to dig deep to remember some of my basic garment-sewing skills...but, we made it happen.

 

No trip to Vegas would be complete without a trip to *Sew Yeah.  They have a new bigger, brighter location. It Is Very Nice!!  Their new location now includes a section for sewing furniture and cabinets.

Dez and I browsed for quite a while, touch all the fabric getting our " fabric fix." We nearly made our escape without buying  any fabric....but....right next to the door was a bin of fat quarter bundles....
and I could NOT resist!!

 

 

 

Who doesn't LOVE Barbie...especially the classic Barbie!!

Fifteen Fat Quarters!!  I need to decide on a pattern...I'm thinking a Wonky Star. Or, something like it.

 Fussy Cut Miss Barbie for the Center of the star.

 

Next time you are in Vegas, this shop is worth a visit!! Website

 

 

 

 

And with the blink of an eye, it was time to say good-bye, again, to the people that I love and return to
"my 'ol Kentucky duplex."  Home - Sweet - Duplex.

 Until next time....

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.

Let Freedom Ring!

One of those Freedoms is the Freedom to wander.... The long holiday weekend found me wandering up to Las Vegas to visit my nieces and nephew....one of them my quilting niece, Desiree.

Part of the wandering plan was to visit a few quilt shops along the way. 
There are very few, as it is all hot, dry desert between So. Calif and Vegas with mostly Joshua Trees and a few small towns. 

But, there are a few shops listed on the internet which made me rather excited! 
Haven't visited an actual quilt shop in nearly two years.

The Mariposa Quiltworks in Yermo, the Quilt 'n Home in Ridgefield and Gram's Treasures in Barstow....I had the presence of mind to call first.  ALL CLOSED!  Maybe there were not enough desert dwellers who quilt or maybe it was the pandemic....whatever the reason, it was disappointing and a bit sad: Another brick-and-mortar shop bites the dust.

 

 

But, No Worries....This is the perfect way to spend the Quilting Auntie Nyla's birthday weekend-- quilting with the Quilting Niece.  Auntie was there with us in Spirit.

After all our hugs and hellos, we spent the first evening gathering up and unpacking all her quilting stuff which was scattered all over; cleaning and oiling machines; getting ready to put the pedal to the medal for a few days of catching up and creating beauty.

The Quilting Niece, Dez: Nyla and Miss Ellie all set up and ready to roll.

 

BTW, Judy Brown of Just Get it Done Quilts has a great video on how to resurrect long-neglected projects. HERE

 

Next Day: After a Starbucks stop for a fancy coffee drink we made a trip to Sew Yeah Quilting for a few supplies.  A couple hundred dollars later (and not much in the pile we actually went for...) we headed home.

This shop has really grown up since my last visit about 4 years ago.  Very, very nice.  If you are in Vegas, go visit and tell them "Charlotte said 'Hi'."

While I actually did take a bin full of scraps to sort, press and cut into 2 inch squares in preparation for my next Leaders and Enders quilt, I purchased not-one-but-TWO Layer Cakes at Sew Yeah.  I just could NOT help myself.

Violet Hill

Feeline Good

 

And just like that TWO new projects are born!

  

 

 

 

What can you do with a Layer Cake? 

I found Salt Air Lattice on the Internet.
 

This is not really a free pattern, but HERE is a blog tutorial.
Apparently I missed the quilt a-long by only 9 years.

None-the-less, I've made a good start.

 

 

We sewed, we ate, we solved all the world's problems...throw in a lot of visiting with nieces, nephew, sisters, fireworks and even a water fight! So, sew, much fun!

The progress for the weekend:

Charlotte's new layer cake project.
Of course, now I must buy some
yardage to finish this lap quilt.

Desiree's resurrected UFO

 

 

 

The Quilting Niece made good progress on her UFO; only three more blocks. 
It's hard to see the sashing and corner stones, but they are there if you look close.

All too soon it was time to say goodbye and head back across the desert to home (where thankfully it is about 30 degrees cooler!). 

It was good medicine to see my family, laugh, celebrate and quilt.  Auntie Nyla would be so happy that the next generation is embracing her favorite sport.

 

Meet "Nyla"

 

        

     A little side note, Dez's Janome once belonged to the Quilting Auntie* . 
    Now she has a name.

* The "Quilting Auntie" mantle has been passed down from Auntie Nyla to me by the Vegas peeps.

First Project - Step 1 - Square Up The Fabric

My beautiful niece, Desiree
Her very first block

We have our space, we've assembled our tools, we know about fabric.  What's next...
Choosing a project and choosing fabric.

Start with something easy.  I recently traveled to Las Vegas to teach my niece how to quilt.  We started with a simple 9 patch and turned it into a "disappearing 9 patch" table runner.  A disappearing 9 patch would be very "fat quarter friendly."

A fat quarter is a "square" of fabric rather than a 1/4 yard cut.
A typical quarter yard is 1/4th of a yard, or 9" long and as wide as the fabric; a quarter yard of a quilting cotton usually measures 9" x 44".
A fat quarter is a one-fourth yard cut of fabric that measures 18" x 22" instead of the typical 9" x 44" quarter-yard cut.

The reason I mention fat quarters is because most quilt shops have pre-cut fat quarters scattered around their shops.  They are sometimes bundled with coordinating fabrics.  If I'm not shopping for any particular fabric, I may purchase a fat quarter or two for my "stash" I simply MUST HAVE. I don't have to bother the sales person to cut the fabric and because they are usually under $3 per fat quarter, I don't feel like I've spent any "real" money.  WARNING; collecting fat quarters can be habit forming.

Squaring up your fabric:  When you purchase a piece of fabric, you watch the sales lady cut it off the bolt, it looks perfectly fine.  It isn't.  It is not "square" regardless of how straight everything looks.  Take the first fat quarter (or piece of fabric.) We need to "square it up."
Here is a link to step-by-step instructions for squaring up fabric.   I looked for a video on You Tube, but didn't find one I thought would be helpful to a newbie.  This one was pretty good. But, she doesn't show you how to cut it. If the step-by-steps instructions don't do it for you, send me a message...we can skype.  I'll show you.

In this You Tube video she says something about "washing & ironing" the fabric.  To Wash or Not to Wash your quilt fabric, that is the question.  Some people do and some people don't.  I don't. Why? Because I'm lazy and don't want to bother.  I am not convinced it matters to the finished project.  You should ask your other quilting buddies for their opinion, then make your own decision.

Okey, Dokey... next post...cutting!