Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire

Or, Oops, I did it again....

I was so delighted with my finished top from last year's Fat Quarter Shop Designer Mystery Block of the Month that I jumped in and joined in for this year. I was a couple of months behind, but no worries, I got all three of the first blocks and finishing kit today. The project uses the Moda Glace collection and is just yummy.

The Fat Quarter Shop is a great place for many things, and they are very generous with the fabrics they send. I have never run short on one of their kits unless I was the one who messed things up. That said, it is always a very dangerous place, so watch your credit cards when you visit...things could get expensive.

Of course, dangerous places abound and Northern California and Southern Oregon are no exception. We took a short road trip because we needed to get away before the grapes are ready for the wine-making to begin in a few weeks. I found a few goodies, most notably, an out-of-print fabric to use on a Robot quilt for Alex. It is the same print as the large focus fabric in Benjamin's, but the background is navy instead of light blue. Yippee!!!!! This print was released in 2003 and Kate got the tail end of it in 2006, so I am lucky, lucky, lucky!

Getting Some Things Done!

I just got a quilt back from my friend and long arm quilter Kat McCarty, proprietress of A Thread Runs Through It, but I don't want to reveal it. It is a wedding quilt for Scott and Erin.

Yesterday, I finished two, count them, two tops!

We had a sewfest at our Snooze You Lose mini-group and while sitting next to my friend Angie, I got the rest of my Fat Quarter Shop Designer Mystery Quilt together. I love this top so much that I'm thinking that I'll sign up for the 2009 version.

And, I got the dreaded scalloped border on my Verna Mosquera Happy Hauntings BOM finished! WooHoooooooo! I'm going to have this quilt basted by a long armer so I can take my sweet time and hand quilt it. I used Darlene Zimmerman's EZ Scallop tool and her instructions from The Quilter's Edge for appliqeing scalloped borders. I wasn't thrilled with Verna's scallops and I was shorted a bit on the inner border fabric, so I opted for the shallower and wider scallops using Darlene's method. I'm thinking that I may mirror the scallops for the outer edge, too. I'm loving this quilt!!!

We Interrupt this Quilting

For a visit with my big sister and her hubby. I haven't seen her since 2005, so we had a great visit in between her jaunts to a family wedding on his side. She lives in New Orleans part of the year and Cayucos, CA part of the year.

It was so great to catch up with her and to love on her beautiful golden retrievers.

More Vintage Goodies

I am the vintage goodie in this post!

This is a picture of me with the block I made at the workshop with Sally Collins in May. Sally spoke at our guild and gave a six hour workshop the next day. Her quilts were utterly amazing, and when I asked her how long it took to make one of her miniatures, she told me that it was pretty much the same amount of time as a full-scale version of the same quilt.

I learned some amazing things in the class, not the least of which was to measure, measure, measure. She had us measuring each piece as it was sewn in place to make sure it was correct before moving on. It was a light bulb moment for me....Duh....I've been quilting for over 35 years and did I ever do that? No. I'm here to tell you that it does make a difference.

If you ever have the chance to take a class with Sally, jump on it. Even if miniatures are not your thing, you will learn lessons you should have learned from the get-go.

More vintage goodness tomorrow,

More From the Magic Box

One of the real treasures in the box was a catalog of quilt patterns available by mail order. I've only begun to examine this lovely little book, but a cursory exam revealed something peculiar and terrifying...... and that would be a pattern for an appliqued rat. A RAT. I ask you, who, in their right mind would applique a rat on a quilt? (Insert ex-husband jokes here.....)

Some possible quilt themes:

• A quilt for the 650th anniversary of the black death
  
• Sinking sailboats with rats deserting same
• Delightful addition to childs ABC quilt
• "Friendship" block for the guild troublemaker
• Sofa pillow for the kitty
  

I can't even think about it because I hate rodents so much.

How would you use a rat block?

More Vintage Goodness

More pictures of the goodies inside the mystery box. This is such a great time capsule of quilting in the old days when ladies would see a block they liked and make a sample to keep for reference and the quilts that the newspapers published every week.

Opening the lid provides a hint of things to come.

We must have pins to make a good block!Blocks: Devils Claw, Drunkard's Path, and Corn and Beans to name a few.

Mystery Box

Several weeks ago at a meeting of the Santa Rosa Quilt Guild, I found an interesting box on our silent auction table, looking a bit like an old board game. I thought I'd take a looky-lou at it because my Son-in-Law is a diehard gamer and collects same.

A couple of other members and I opened the box and I nearly fell over when I saw the contents.

This box was apparently some quilter's box of sample quilt blocks and patterns--most likely a quilter who is long gone. Included were several patterns purchased from the newspapers, pins, a worn thimble and even a lump of old beeswax. I went to the overseer of the silent auction, offered her a donation for the box and home we came. Over the next few days, I'll be posting some pictures of the goodies inside. Here's a little teaser, the thimble, posing on a quilt block.

This is my 300th post~stay tuned for some kind of giveaway soon!

Yeah, That's Me

Yep. Guilty.

It has been six weeks since my last blog post. Blame Facebook. Blame live music. Blame family and friends. I've been busy.

I've taken quite a few pictures intending to post them, but I'm a slacker.

Reformation is coming.......tomorrow........I promise.