Saturday, July 28, 2012

THINGS TO MAKE YOU SMILE AND THINK.....

I totally understand this cartoon....except I do have to say that my Grandkids are now good about cleaning up their forts, empty ice cream dishes, tiaras, dolls, crayons, legos and other fun things we have around here. I am thankful for the mess.
I remember very fondly when my Dad said to me (after I left home for college) "it used to drive me crazy to look in and see a messy room when you were home and now I would give anything to have it busy and messy again." I think that was one of the nicest things he ever said to me.
I don't know who does these funny photos of a handsome guy saying he loves a stash of good fabric etc....these are very funny...and very UNREAL
This is a photo of my dearest son and his sweet daughter on her birthday. I love them both very much.
This was from a pattern in the Out of the Box with Easy Blocks book....it is different than mine and I love it just as much....what nice person would not love a quilt that says this?
I think this photo is very funny....I saw one sort of like this when I was in France and it was about celulite and it had a woman's extra gurth pinned with clothespins...it wasn't nearly as appealing as this.....
The nice part about being home is having some time to actually paint and fool around with ideas....I have some great ideas for fabric and hope to get it on goods so I can work with it!
I think this is very exciting. Mel has been teaching young girls how to do hoochy style blocks and her little friend (age 12 or so) did this adorable pillow for her room....excellent!
Above is a nice and proud little girl who is sure to become an Out of the Box quilter!
I am putting this photo in because so many people think my quilts are small....once they see them in person, they see that I do not do small...unless it is wool.
    Hope you are staying cool this summer. I am laying low as my back is still giving me a few problems and I want to be in good shape for this Fall when I will see hundreds of you and show you how the fabrics you choose can make a HUGE difference with the quilts you make!

Saturday, July 21, 2012

INSPIRATIONS AND FUN WITH SOME GOOD ADVICE TOO


 While at the CUPCAKES retreat on Whidbey Island I was amazed at how many selvage wedges Laurie got done for a full size quilt! I was happy that she got one with my name on it. She is going to do a bag for me with just my fabric selvages...pretty fun and am I lucky or what???
Each evening we started with something nice to drink and then COLOR on the table and little gifts...it was so very fun!
Those take out containers sure make a pretty presentaion and with a flower tucked in, even better-this was Molly's night....
 Laurie sent me some more Cupcake photos today...hooray. Here is Molly setting the table on her night....pin cushions were in the green boxes and other surprises and the dressed on the backs of chairs were clothespin holders...adorable!
 So, these two photos just sent to me by Laurie show the house we rented at Whidbey Island....Laurie's beautiful baby quilt is on the left (hanging)....I will post some block closeup's below....
 As Eilene hangs her beautiful stars she is making next to my bugs, Susan watches to critique her placement...the kitchen is where Susan is standing....
 Mel with her new sample of the lettering from Out of the Box with easy  blocks...she has instrutions in the book about how to do scrappy and then she put this with letters and used complimentary colors....She looks quite happy in her "cupcake" hat!
 This is the table that Eilene on the right, Mel and I in the corner sewed on...right next to the view...so wonderful! The yoyo quilt in front was a project Mel is working on-the backing is denim and it is heavy...and really cool....maybe you want to make some yoyo's now too!
Below is hoochy pieced letter and star which is in the Out of the Box with Easy Blocks book! Can you see why cheddar is my favorite color? This is part of Mel's new red, white and blue cow quilt....
Molly makes something quite refreshing to drink to go before her dinner.
Below, Susan gave each of us a cow print plastic lined tall glass for iced latte's etc and inside was this adorable cow fabric that we can't wait to make into a cow or something similar...we are hooked and cows and this fabric is adorable! She also gave us hats and Mel got brown...I got red (my favorite color! ...sometimes
Here is a pile of Susan's things...like her fabulous selvage striped purse! And the red dress Molly made her and the New York shopping bag Mel made for her....
This photo is fuzzy but Molly bought us each a pencil with a tiara on it from Harrod's in England...I LOVE this!
Here is a quilt that Susan started in my Asilomar class and it is going to have large sunflowers coming out of the vase...her cats name was "Margaret Thatcher" (she passed away and this is a story quilt about her and the vase and Susan didn't want to leave her dog out.
Here are Laurie's blocks done for her future Grandchild....aren't they something? Such perfection and such a lovely color combination for a sweet baby!



Sorry if I posted this table before but it is such a good idea...hats as a gift in the water glasses and see the cow cups I mentioned earlier??? Lovely colors and always good food
Looking out the window as I iron...
I wanted my photo taken here because the graphic was so cool..and I do like a cup of coffee now and again
Susan always has such great ideasand she made some fairly large blocks of many dresses for her Granddaughter...it is going to be a large quilt with a beautiful happy pink in between all of these darling blocks...everything she does is wonderful and you always smile at her work.
Salad and champagne plus cool stuff to take home....
Who is that behind those Foster Grants? OH I guess it's Susan....
Mel made another Cupcake sample to travel from the pattern in Out of the Box with Easy Blocks....isn't this adorable? Nice gift idea too!
 Susan ,Molly and Eilene wait at the restaurant for sweet potato fries and sandwiches to split in Forst Gamble....
I had to take a photo of this banana slug right outside the quilt shop in Port Orchard...we managed to buy plenty of fabric anyhow...watch where you walk I say-that is MY foot there
This is one of the quilt shops we visited (in Port Gamble) outside and inside...found lots of good fabrics there....
Eilene brought her Christmas Santa quilt to show us...adorable!
If you haven't gotten these crackers, I highly recommend them! Susan bought them at Costco and they are fabulous!
My things packed and ready to go home with Eilene until I get home-I flew and she drove...I had two suitcases full of fabric.....
Molly brings her things in to pack her bags and fly back to California until we meet next year for year number 14. It was another lovely time with lovely people who are thankful for their many blessings and the idea that we are all quilters who love to create and have fun! Hope this gave you some inspiration to try something fun, new, colorful, bright or maybe to cook for some friends or just get together to laugh and enjoy life. DON'T dwell on the unhappy events in the news...dwell on what is right and GOOD in the world....you will be healthier and happier!
Nest year we will be going to Sister's and Bend Oregon for our Cupcake get together...we plan to sew all week and go to the picnic and end with the quilt show before going home to sew like the wind after the inspiration....such fun. Hope it isn't too hot and that it doesn't rain like it did this year. We are all going to enter a quilt into their show....we'll see if they are hung where you can see them or high on some tall building where you need binoculers for a view.....

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

FUNNY for ANY Quilter or QUILT Lover

I had this on one of my blogs before but it is so funny that I think it needs to be here more than once....comments???

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

BUG QUILT BEGINNINGS-

I brought piles of beautiful dumb dots by Michael Miller to the Cupcake retreat and decided to do a bug quilt for my Granddaughter....I am always wanting something great to do techniques with and I had plenty to take on the road with me and also to make a sample and what better sample than bugs-my Granddaughter has loved bugs for four years and she is always looking for them to study and learn with....
Bees and butterflies has been a favorite this summer for my Granddaughter so I have been strip piecing stripes and making butterflies and dragonflies....she likes most anything that flies and in fact holds bees in her hand and proclaims..."they won't bite me that know I won't hurt them and I am not afraid of them"...and she has never been bitten...we call her the bee whisperer
My Grandson caught a bee last year after watching his sister and was promptly bitten...he doesn't try anymore...he just watches her like we all do....
Isn't it fun hoW you can take dots and they all blend and look so pretty? The colors all mesh and will work well for a nice girls bed quilt....
I will be adding embroidery and buttons for eyes and feelers and legs where needed
I added a stem and leaves on the stem for my flower...I hope to work more of those in....along with my Granddaughter's name and something about bugs or bees....
If you are planning a pretty quilt, dumb dots by Michael Miller is a good choice!
Comments will be welcome and in two weeks I will draw three lucky winners and send them a nice prize....