Summer Fun

Summer seems to be flying by here!
I marked my Pineapple quilt for machine quilting.

 It can be handy to set up a banquet table in my sewing room so I can leave it for a couple of days.

Here is a great tip I shared on IG:  Fold your top, batting and backing into quarters and cut the layers this way.  It is hard to crawl around the floor!

 I used these 3 marking tools:  Blue water soluble pen, clover white pen and Sewline white ceramic pencil.

 I also like to weigh down the stencil so it doesn't shift.

I was so excited to mark it, I forgot to orientate it correctly and Mr. Lincoln was upside down!

 I made a patch and fused it on top of the strip.

Here is a video of the fix.

My Boys went sailing on the Chicago to Mackinac Island Race.   They came in 11 out of 14 in their group (they were happy not to be last).

 I kept tabs on them at home with a great racing tracker system.

 Beautiful  early morning photos that Andrew took.  Rich is really in his element on a boat.

The race takes several days and they are racing around the clock.  No major storms this year.

 They had a little trouble finding the wind at times.

While they were sailing, I had my Chicagoland girlfriends here.  It is fun to be a local tourist.
Mark Twain's Home in Hartford.

A beautiful day at Mystic Seaport Museum.

Yale Gallery in New Haven.

It was great to spend time together catching up.  We've been friends for almost 45 years!  We started this puzzle.

I finished it yesterday.  It was so so hard!

I'll be back soon so share how I made an outdoor spray basting wall.

I wish you happy summer days! 
xo

Dallas!

Howdy!  Back from Dallas with a full report.
Thank you to all the friendly and talented ladies in Dallas for such a welcoming visit, especially my hostesses Pat and Sue for all the rides and wonderful dinners.  They introduced me to Fried Green Tomatoes - yum!

Hex Vex workshop (notice those sliding design walls!)

 I always love to see what fabrics students choose.

 Look at Sue's pre-pieced hexie. It would make a perfect spring or Easter table runner.

wee - that bee block!

 After me own heart Pat.

My two workshops were held at the Best Little Retreat Center in Texas.  Owner Pam (she works with her husband, Chuck) they are very warm and generous and passionate about quilters adn quilting.

Here is the main workroom (not my class).  Each student gets 2 tables. with a center outlet station.  It is fabulous!


They have a kitchen

A cute lounge area where I got to watch The Kentucky Derby.  (no comment)

Just down the way is a quilt shop, how handy!

How cute is this display at the quilt shop? 

My House Party Workshop Group!

Here are some of the builds

Notice the tornado roof :)

this one is fun.

 As you can see Ragi, who had never done this, really took to the process.

It was Nancy's Birthday and her Mom brought balloons and delicious baby bundt cakes for us.  So fun.

 These are nancy's blocks.  Alice's tower is so charming!

I did a little stitching at 20,000 feet.  

I spent 12 1/2 hours at the Dallas airport on Sunday due to multiple delays and missed connections.  But I still love you Texas.

I treated myself to a bagel- big carb cheat for me! and later a great dinner and a glass of contentment.

 Pineapple update.  This is how it looked monday.

Each round takes this long.  I'm usually not a counter, but I was curious.

Here is how it looks this morning.   My goal is to finish them by 5pm tomorrow. 

Okay, that is more than enough for one post. 
xo

Scrap-tastic!

My sewing room is crazy and maybe I am too!

I was going to stop at 9 blocks because these take forever. 

I was doing three at a time.

While I was getting my car serviced I did a mock up of how 16 blocks would look and there was no looking back. 

Now my room looks like this!

Strips are everywhere

Coco can't even look at me.

My sewing friends are talking behind my back.

Oh My Gosh...she is crazy!  She thinks she can do 7 at a time now!

Thats right.  I'm doing 7 at a time, but when these babies are done....I'm done.

In other news:
Wendy (of The Constant Quilter) sent me the sweetest note and little fabric book ala Gwen Marston. 

The little pages are so charming.

 Thank you Wendy for your thoughtfulness.

We had our first humming bird on April 26th.  He is hard to see.

While practising Mah Jongg online, I got the highest possible hand for 2019.   I plan to start playing at the senior center soon.

Okay, I'm off to Dallas tomorrow where I'll be giving a presentation and  teaching 2 workshops.
I hope I get a chance to watch the Derby.

Happy May Day!

xo