Aug 27, 2009

completions--quilty and retreat notes

Just a bit of a catch-up post again. I've been a bit under the weather for a little over a week when the creeping crud upper respiratory thing decided to make its unwelcome appearance. But I have gotten a bit of quilting work done since my last posts (4 of them--gabby girl!) that chronicled my trip to OR. This note will finish up with my fabric purchases, goodies from the FABs and some of that pre- trip secret sewing stuff and post trip completions.

These placemats were what I was working on just right before I left. I said I was hand finishing binding, and boy howdy, was I! I implied to the girls that I was working on the binding on my Cheese and Crackers quilt but that was telling a little bit a fib. "I could tell you but then I would have to kill you", LOL?? I gifted both Pam and Cher with sets of 4 but was able to squeeze out a total of 10 of them with the available yardage that my mom sent home with me earlier in the summer. DJ and I get to keep a couple of them.



This was a gift from Cher to all the FABs. Cool quilt calendar, Sisterhood of Quilter panel from designer Jody Houghton along with a membership card to the Sisterhood and a note pad from Sisterhood of Purple. There is a free pattern on the website for an idea of how to assemble--the link will take you there. (The blue note pad is part of a some stuff she had set aside for anyone that wanted them). For my birthday gift, she mailed me the 2009 Sister's poster. The end cap popped off in transit but the poster was rolled up in the tube so well that it didn't dislodge, thank heaven's! THX again, Cher.


This photo shows some of the things that Norma gave to me, birthday and otherwise. Missing is a redwork cat pattern that she had found but it shows up in another shot. You can see that she was purging magazines and pulling articles that she thought each of might like. Saved some mailing costs down from BC. Home canned sockeye salmon that I can't wait to try next week. That wild orange, green piece of fabric on the left is designed to look like Allsorts, a black licorice candy that Norma had introduced me to in the past. She brought me two bags of the yummy stuff but we ate one at the FAB retreat. I can find them occasionally at a local drug store chain but don't dare go looking too often!

Doesn't the cat card look just like my Skyler? From a conversation about what a loonie was earlier in the year, I asked her to bring one to the retreat so I could see what it looked like. Guess it is mine now! I didn't know anything about their toonie coin till Mayvis stuck one in her card. She had also given each of the FABs something uniquely Canadian. Wrapped around two coffee crisp bars was the maple leaf fabric and holding it all together was a band with small maple leaf pin. Mine is stuck on my FAB badge--turns out it went through the wash with one of my tops, and unavailable when I took this picture. The 2nd coffee crisp bar only made if as far as the DFW airport, LOL.

This is some of the tourist-y type purchases. A cap for DJ, a thimble made to look like the Coquille River lighthouse for me, t-shirt for me. Some cranberry bog frogs for DJ and some treats from Cranberry Sweets. I shared those too----unfortunately some I saved for ME along with the allsorts were with those dratted ants!!!! I didn't need to be eating candy anyway but I didn't intend to feed them. Oh, well!

The postcards were some I picked up in case my pictures did not turn out or just because the professional shots are so much better than I could take. Lastly there are the agates and pretty rocks that Ed. Pam and I picked up along the Bandon jetty and the ocean.

This one shows most of the stuff Pam and I gathered or made to stick in the beach themed gift bags. Earlier in the summer Pam ordered the Elizabeth Studio Beach Diva panels and we each got the companion yardage. It started with us going to make tote bags for all 5 of us but that expanded to including summer themed items and such. She made half and I made half using the Tote Along pattern from Robin Gallagher at Two Wacky Women. It will fold up to about 3 x 5 to stick in your purse like a miniature quillow! I also made the matching neck coolers (pattern online) as well as the beach ball pin cushion and Victorian thumb cushion from Just Jennifer.

The rest is fun stuff Pam and I found along the way---some sweets, of course. The purple containers have M&M's in one and chocolate covered sunflower seeds in the other; candy shaped like a hotdog and hamburger, a ring pop, a package of bubble gum. Other fun stuff-- battery operated fan, visor, pinwheel, fun nail polish, manicure set, lip gloss, drink cup with crystal light mix, that little sea creature squirts water, etc. There was also a Suduko puzzle book but I couldn't find it for the picture. We had an ice cream cone that held bubble blowing solution with the wand in the cone top. I left that behind for Alice but still have 7 cones worth of ice cream scented bubble solution here at home, LOL--- as soon as I find a wand I'm back in business. Can you see how all the sudden we had to have a bag to hold the original bag, LOL?? Pam also made up the FAB badges and also those cute luggage tags for each of the bags--she found a pattern she could use or adapt online.

Next picture shows some of my quilty purchases. Pam found one of the lighthouse patterns in her mom's things but I bought the other 3 for the ones I saw on my trip. Below that is the cat redwork pattern from Norma. I stuck the magnetic quilt in the sleeve to hold it but now I am not sure which friend gave it to me---Cher??

Most of the fabric you see I got at Fabric Depot---mostly landscape stuff for the lighthouse patterns. Closer to the iron is the yardage that might go with our "Baby, Its Cold Outside" challenge. That cool stripe and the black and white pieces were some that I got at Fibers in Motion the following day. I don't know if you can see the photo well enough to tell that it is pins and needles?

Okay moving right along----------
As I said at the start of the note, I did get a bit of sewing and quilting done this last 10 days. Slow going since I have not felt too red hot nor am I resting well with this croupy cough. Low, low energy levels. Still, I managed to get caught up with my "Be Attitude" quilt-lets.

I had the base of the July "Be Honest" done some time back but essentially had to wait all of July to get my Viking back to even think about machine appliquing it. By then I was busy making placemats. I took the final stitches in this on Monday evening and took its official portrait.

Actually I was sort of doing these assembly line, I guess. I prepped and appliqued the August "Be Prayerful" and September "Be Smart" blocks and then machine appliqued all three at the same time. Same with the quilting and binding application. Last stitches taken in the binding on Tuesday. I may wait to hang this in the living room spot till October and split the month with the fall themed one.

With the completion of "Be Smart" I am ahead of the game again. I had to miss the Bama Belles meeting on Tuesday since I was not feeling well but I did get some stuff done at home as you can see.

Yesterday I HAD to go to a nursing seminar. Even though I still didn't (and don't) feel so red hot
I also was not going to lose the money I had to pay to get those continuing ed units. I took Santa along with me and basically got that sled, tree area done while I had to sit all day. A few little spots still need some work but it is almost done. I am way behind on doing these one a month but that's okay.

Not sure what project is next though I am leaning towards completing my Cheap Trick/Two of a Kind top since I did find something for the outer border recently. My other choice would be to get back to the Strip Twist I started at the retreat.

Anyway, old friends and family thanks for hanging around through 500 plus posts. New friends and readers, good to have you along.

1 comment:

  1. yes..that magnet came from me Linda.
    as you can see, I am playing catch up on blog reading!

    ReplyDelete

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