FFF - Get Lucky and Feel Great!

Fun For Friday -

Blue Jeans are not just for cowboys and farmers anymore.  I bet I wear them 5-6 days a week.  You can wear them anywhere now; nice restaurants, the theater, even church.

This is an unsolicited endorsement of Lucky Brand Jeans.  I was lucky enough to get 2 new pairs this week.  They are well made and fit great.

 Now women will say "$100 is too much to spend on jeans!"  or "I buy mine at Walmart and they're fine".    Okay.  They are expensive, but I've had a pair last nearly 10 years.  So that is $10.00 a year.  If worn twice a week, that's only 9 cents per wearing.  A solid investment in my book.

Here is my Jean Theory:
You should spend twice your age, and hope to look half as good as you used to.

Lucky has many different styles, shapes and lengths.  They also have stretch now (thank goodness).  They offer free shipping, even on returns.  The first 2 pair I ordered didn't fit - no problem - free shipping both ways.

I like to try things on at home, especially something as important as jeans.  I will, after all, be entering into a long term relationship with them.

Speaking of denim...Rachael made this fabulous quilt with old jeans.  Isn't it terrific?  Her blog, Blue Mountain Daisy, is always a great source of fun and inspiration.

By the way, being a thrifty shopper, I have found Lucky Jeans at TJMaxx and Marshalls....

Splurge on your jeans - you're worth it!

One Down, One to Go

I finished one of the two Mid-Winter Blues quilts I made from Lori's Quilt Along.  I used gold silk thread.

**Updated on March 26th**
I machine quilted this with my walking foot.  I quilt it on the diagonal weaving back and forth doing the leaf shapes or figure 8s.  After quilting all the way around in all directions, the circle pattern is created.  I hope this answers the questions.

I used my pounce marker, which I had sort of forgotten about and it worked great for this overall teacup, or pumpkin seed stencil.  They have a new powder now that comes off with a steam iron.  I had to wash mine, but that's okay.

I used this patriotic fabric for the backing.

The painters are here again this week to paint the bathrooms and bedrooms.  I had to practically move out of my sewing room, but it will be worth it.

I found the PERFECT neutral for the sewing room; Benjamin Moore's Muslin.  How could I resist?

Hope you have a great week.

It's Spring!

I never thought we'd get here, but it's spring!  I couldn't resist these daffodils.  I've been admiring them every day while they soak up the sun.

50 Shades of Lavender is finished and bound!

I really like the backing fabric too, it makes it reversible.

Coco looks totally confused watching us (check out all that greenish stuff, I haven't seen it in 3 months.)

 
Aaahhh, this is better.

The painters are coming back on Monday to do the bedrooms and baths.  I can't wait to live with something other than white.

Fun For Friday - Cookbooks with a sense of humor

These two were gifts given to my husband.  My son and his girlfriend really get this guy.

My daughter got this one for Christmas.  Check out the author's name, lol.

What would Betty Crocker or Julia say?

Machine Quilting - Take One

Happy Monday & St. Patricks Day

I have only 2 more lines of machine quilting to finish today and I can attach the binding on the lavender quilt - hooray!  Here is how a finished section looks.

Over the weekend I thought I'd try a little "how to" video.  I'm not sure how to get better close ups, but it gives you an idea of how I wrangle the quilt.

Here you can see that I'm only doing a 6 1/2" line before pivoting the quilt.  It is so much easier to handle it one line at a time.

Here I am again doing the middle section.

Well, Hanna is no Marty Scorsese and I'm no Cate Blanchett, but it was fun to try a video post.  Maybe it will encourage you try a larger quilt on your home machine.

Have a great week~

Show and Tell

Thank you all so much for your caring comments about my injury.  It is healing well and I got a tetanus booster.

It was so great to see quilting friends at the quilt show and guild meeting last week.  There were two exhibits that I especially enjoyed.  Sorry, these are iphone (old one) photos and not the best.

The Baltimore Applique' Society quilts -

A Halloween themed album quilt - love the bat border!

I'm obsessed with this quilt.  It's one that I wish I had thought of, it is Sue Garman's pattern (no credit given on the placard).

I really like this one made by the Modern Quilt Guild.

Sorry didn't get a photo of placard on this modern quilt.  Very graphic and well done!

Here is an exhibit of challenge quilts.  Members of this group took pages from the fall issue of Vogue magazine as inspiration for their challenge.   So creative!

We liked this so much that 8 of us are going to have a similar challenge for our fall retreat.  We are using any magazine page from any magazine.  I can't wait to start mine.  It is going to be an art quilt.

New Toy!  Maybe this will help keep my fingers clear!

Here is the "action" shot.... I'm so exited about this light! (for norma, ha ha).

Happy Daylight Savings - more daylight hours to quilt - hooray!

Quilt Crime Scene

This is the scene of the crime:  I was the victim of a hit and run at the sewing machine on Saturday.  I hit my finger with the needle and it punctured my nail and cut my finger at the tip (I'll spare you the visuals).

I never understood how it could happen.....I was obviously speeding and also watching Grey's Anatomy and then wham, ooops, OUCH.

Warning: this is an unsafe trajectory.

 and this is how it can happen...

Please practice safe quilt driving, demonstrated in the photo below:

The quilt grab is also safe.

Here are just a few machine quilting tips:

I use a teflon sliding sheet.  It helps the quilt glide and then I don't push down and hurt my shoulders.
(I also use a mighty light that is attached to my machine for extra light.

I use a thread tree, which unspools the thread and allows it to "whip" off the spool easily.

I use bobbin washers to help my bobbin spin nicely.

Maybe some warning cones in the construction area would help me avoid future accidents ;)

Off to a quilt show on Thursday and will share some highlights soon.

Happy Mardi Gras - Shrove Tuesday.  Here at our house that means Pancakes for dinner.