Mini Shop Hop

Atlanta Quilt Stores held their annual Shop Hop this weekend, and once again I said the only way I would go is if they let me sell some of this fabric overtaking my sewing room. However, in my official role as an Enabler, one of our new members wanted to go to all the shops on the hop. I did this the first year we moved here, so I understand. As a public service (just call me The Giver), I told her I would go with her to the Cobb County shops. We met at Red Hen, and then she mentioned she was looking for a particular fabric which I knew Tracy at KiwiQuilts had, so we made an unscheduled stop there. Tracy really has fantastabulous fabrics, and I have already scolded her for not getting in the shop hop (and I know she reads my blog, so will be scolded yet again!  Hi Tracy!)  :) Then we went to Little Quilts, then to Tiny Stitches, where I won their end of the day giveaway!  It's a magnetic notepad, with a little magnet on the back that you can attach to something and don't have to search for a notepad through the piles of paper on your desk. Except nothing is made of metal any more - LOL - so I don't know what I will attach it to! Al would have said I should have chosen the most expensive thing in the bin, but I went for something I would actually use. Cute little notepad, and THANK YOU Tiny Stitches!  I did actually buy some fabric yesterday...some fabric for the Brown Sugar Stitchers Guild's Quilts of Valor quilt project. And some fabric for the shoe quilt border.

And I finished the flying geese for Cattails in the Savanna:

Love them!

OH! Grazin' in the Grass just came on -- that is an even better name for Cattails in the Savanna. Shoot - now I have to choose!

And finally, Jewels in the Castle Wall won second place in the Smoky Mountain Quilters Guild Show. I now have a red, a white, and a blue ribbon for this quilt! Here it is hanging next to the gorgeous, hand appliqued first place winner.

I think it's important to protect the lives of innocent civilians in Libya and Syria, but let's start with Florida. ~ Andy Borowitz

Cutting...

Well, now we know why I didn't finish cutting out pieces for this quilt before class...I spent three nights this past week cutting out the rest of the fabric. Lot of cutting. Judy Neimeyer is all about organization, so after I cut, and cut, and cut, and cut, I put all the pieces together with their little paper clips, and I am now working on the flying geese.
Here is one of the completed geese units...love it!

When I'm bored, I send a text to a random number saying, "I hid the body...now what?"

Spinning Points

I had a very productive day today! Mailed off Jewels in the Castle Wall to Leona to show in the Smokey Mountain Guild Quilt Show. Boxed and sent off through UPS.

Then I went to the Frame Shop to drop off some beaded art work that I got in Ghana to be framed in a shadow box.

Then I made a really good decision that will help me focus and finish...Henredon gave me a four figure quote to do pillows for the sofa in the living room...seriously. So I had been looking for fabric online, and I happened on Bob's Upholstery here in Marietta and found the perfect fabric. Bob's will charge $100 to do two big pillows...that's $50 each! Yes, I could do it, but for $100...pfft! No brainer. So I dropped off the pillows and then went to the Sewing Expo.  Lots of new vendors, so I had a lot of fun shopping. Bought stencils and paints and a really neat ruler! I'll show you how the ruler works later.

Came home and finished the February free Block of the Month from Quilting on the Square.

Looking good! We lose an hour tonight, so it's really midnight! I'm going to bed!

Saw a cute bumper sticker today: Fasten your seat belt. It makes it harder for the aliens to suck you out of your car!

Focus and Finish

Just came back from New York (business) where I got to go to the 9/11 Memorial and celebrate my nephew's 19th birthday. Kids do just grow up way too fast, and when they are your friend on Facebook, you are really reminded how old you are.
Then I spent Sunday, the 26th, cutting fabric for Cattails in the Meadow, for my class with Judy Neimeyer in Panama City, Florida at Quilting by the Bay. I didn't even come close to finishing cutting, and there wasn't even that much to cut! So I was kinda behind in the class, but it was OK.  I did finish piecing the center compass.

I'm doing this in animal prints and will probably call it something awesomely clever like Cattails in the Jungle or Cattails on the Savanna...hmmmm....Cattails on the Savanna...kinda like it.
And I couldn't help but remember that it has been a year since I attended a class with Judy Neimeyer where I worked on Japanese Fans, and I haven't sewn another stitch on it since. I was talking to Tracey at KiwiQuilts today and we decided that I need to "Focus and Finish." 

So that's the new plan...finish Cattails before I do anything else. Watch this space to see if that really happens!

Never miss a chance to shut up ~ Will Rogers