Finished! An Oldie But a Goodie

This was supposed to be done and ready to post on Friday, but I didn't sooo....Tuesday it is.

EDIT:  I AM IN THE FUTURE.  IT IS MONDAY, 2/26/18 AND THIS POSTED TUESDAY 2/27/18 ON MONDAY ANYWAY.  I don't know how I mastered time travel but know that I will be patenting, copyrighting, and trademarking that bitch.  #makethatmoney

I hate doing bindings.  Like, they're not BAD, I just, at that point, am very over it.  I just want to be done, done.

I always finish my bindings in a timely manner for shop samples because I have to.  Can't miss that window, you know?  But if it's just for me or something I did for fun?  Well, it goes to languish in the binding bucket of "I'll get to it when I get to it."  Translation: Saving it for future archaeologists to figure out why I didn't sew that flappy bit down.

So this one was out of I think Australian Quilter's Companion Magazine like, four or five years ago.  Please don't ask me which issue or even what the quilt is called because for the love of God I cannot remember if my life depended on it.

This was one of those "lessons learned" quilts full of rookie mistakes.  I learned about reading patterns.  I learned about cutting accurately.  I learned that 1/4" MATTERS.  I mean, I tried to cram blocks in there that were NOT fitting because I did them wrong, but I didn't want to do them over so there you go.  But I still love the results.  It's bright and cheery so idgaf about the rest.

Forgive the potato quality pictures.  I was in my cubicle and trying not to draw more attention to myself as the weirdo who quilts in her cube at lunch.

The fabulous quilting is by my friend Frances Heinrich.

WIP: Grandma's Kitchen, Part Deux

So work continues on Grandma's Kitchen.  I am done with my blocks! 

Ooh. Aahh.

Last time I got requests for more stories behind the blocks.  You asked, you get!

First row, first block: Sunday Dinner
This block is pretty self-explanatory...it's about memories of Sunday dinners.  With Grandma Henderson, it wasn't Sundays, it was Saturday night hamburgers.  She LOVED a good hamburger and boy did she makes delicious ones!  Grandma Bowden was not a great cook.  Remember how I vaguely mentioned the great porkchop incident in my last Grandma's Kitchen post? Well.  Those porckhops doubled as home defense.  They were so tough if you smacked home invader in the face with one, they would get a concussion.  She tried though and that's what counts!  She did make good potatoes and gravy, and canned hella veggies.

First row, second block: Salt and Pepper
For this block, Pat reminisced about the salt and pepper shakers at her grandma's house, because they were unique.  My grandmas both had very plain, basic salt and pepper shakers.  every now and then, Grandma Henderson would use the salt and pepper shakers that came with her dish set, only to remember the salt comes out like half the bottle at once and then change back to the regular ones.

First row, third block: Game Show and Soaps
Pat's grandmother loved game shows. Mine?  Not so much.  Grandma Bowden, for reasons beyond my comprehension, LOVED watching golf.  Yes.  Golf. Soft clapping, pastel wearing, rich bitch golf.  To my awareness, she didn't golf herself.  Of course, she passed when I was 16 so I didn't know her hugely well.  Maybe she had a secret golf career.  Or maybe she had a gambling ring.  I don't know!  Grandma Henderson was into movies and TV series, not game shows.  Mysteries and crime dramas were her thing.  She loved Monk and Bones.  She also loved Dancing in the Rain, A Town Called Alice, and True Grit when John Wayne said "Fill your hands you son of a bitch!"

First row, fourth block: Small Change
This was about how her grandma's used to give her mother change as a kid to go spend at the corner store...and how she was given change to save up.  Grandma Bowden didn't do this.  For ... reasons.  Great Grandma Bowden had a jar of pennies she kept around when I was a toddler because I liked to play with them.  Grandma Henderson would always give Myke and I whatever dollar coins were going around at the time.  I still have $10 in Sacajawea dollars she gave me like 15 years ago.  I will never spend them.

First row, fifth block: Pantry Goods
This one was about stocking up for the winter or for bake sales, and how the pantry was always full.  Grandma Bowden, like I said, hella canned and ALWAYS had leftovers.  Grandpa would always have them for lunch after working on his truck or in the backyard all morning.  Grandma Henderson always had c h o c o l a t e. 

Second row, first block: The Fridge
Pat's grandmas had distinctive fridges. Mine had regular.  Moving on!

Second row, second block:  Mending Basket
This is self explanatory...it's about a grandma's literal mending basket. I don't remember if Grandma Bowden had one, but she did have TONS of crochet stuff.  She would watch golf, and crochet, crochet, crochet without even looking.  She tried to teach me but uh...whelp, I don't crochet.  Grandma Henderson had a sewing basket in the guest room, but I never saw her use it. 

Second row, third block:  Lovely Dishes
Every grandma had her dishes. Grandma Henderson had grey and blue Pfalzgraf ceramic dishes with a heart in the middle.  Grandma Bowden had  smattering of different ones...white and blue, cream and gold.  All lightweight glass or thin ceramic. 

Second row, fourth block:  Pick a Posey
Some grandmas garden, some don't.  Mine did.  Grandma Bowden grew strawberries, blackberries, tomatoes, grapes, three different kinds of cherries, three different kinds of peaches, and apples once upon a time.  Grandpa grew poppies.  Grandma Henderson grew flowers...roses, tulips, rhodies, lilacs, peonies...

Second row, fifth block:  That One Item
This is about the one item that triggers the most fond memories of one's grandmas.  Well, I've been trying to be upbeat through these articles, but it is probably apparent by now that the relationships I had with both grandmas were quite different.  It's hard to pinpoint an item from Grandma Bowden that inherently, on its own, triggers positive memories - there weren't many of those with her, unfortunately.  If I had to pick something, it would be her Michael and Gabriel figurines.  She collected Seraphim Angels and I gave her those two and she seems to like them.  Bu with Grandma Henderson it's hard to narrow it down...she was very dear to me.  I guess if I HAD to pick it would be the weird bells she kept in the camel chest.  They were about 2" or 3" tall and thick metal but they looked like they were forged by hand not by a mold because they had imperfections.  They had funky little loops and were red, green, and gold.  I don't know where they were from or why she had them. 

Third row, first block:  Telephone Time
What kind of telephone did your grandma have?  Regular. 

Third row, second block:  Grandma's Purse
A grandma's purse is iconic.  Like, you KNOW your grandma's purse.  Grandma Henderson was particular and loved her red purses.  For several years before her passing, Grandma Bowden was ill and largely homebound.  I don't remember her purse because I don't think she had much need for one for several years.

Third row, third block:  Famous Cookies
Oh my God.  Those home made cookie though. Grandma Henderson made the best chocolate drop cookies!  They were cakey and wonderful.  Mine always come out dry and crumbly. 


On a totally unrelated note, I am watching Gabriel Iglesias (LOVE that dude) and I had no idea he was on All That.  Sure the frig enough. 

Product Review: Karen Kay Buckley's Perfect Scissors (Small Size)

Little scissors are a sewing bag need.  I have several grab and go sewing bags and all of them have little scissors. The small ones were a gift to me, and they were intriguing.  I had heard of Karen Kay Buckley's Perfect Scissors from some other quilters, but never tried them until I had some gifted to me.  They're definitely unique!

Specs

• The small ones are 4", but there are several size options
• Rubberized handles
• Serrated blades
• $20.99

Pros

• The serrated blades are extremely fine and grip small pieces of fabric SO WELL.   These are amazing for cutting out appliques, especially small ones that get squirrelly when cut with smooth bladed scissors.
• Cuts cleanly with no pinking effect from the serration. 
• They keep their edge really well.  I have had mine for 4-5 years and they're still as sharp as day 1.
• Very lightweight

Cons

• Handles are not reinforced.  Those handles are AWFUL.  There is no support in the rubber whatsoever beyond where the metal scissor component is affixed at the bottom of the handles.  If you're cutting something a little but stiff (like a couple layers in a fused applique), they just give out and you can't get any force into the cut at all. Maybe the larger ones have more reinforcement, but these little guys don't. 
• The handles are formed in such a way that they slide up your fingers as you cut which is ergonomically weird.
• I think the price point is a little high for a 4" scissor. 

Conclusion

★★★★☆

I would love these in the larger sizes because that serration is incredible.  I still think the price point is a little high on the smaller sizes, but I suppose that's due to the serration; I probably wouldn't buy them on a whim without having tried them first.  But I love these little scissors.  You wouldn't think that little bit of grip while cutting appliques would make such a difference, but it really, really does.  

Some People Take Smoke Breaks, I Take Stitch Breaks.

There's nothing like waking up to a comment on a post that sets out to mess up your whole day.  It's a weird world we live in that the internet holds that kind of power over us, that now we care about what some rando has to say about what we have to say.  I'm not that old.  But I do remember "life before Facebook" and it is still weird to me that I care.

Long story short, some twatty little troll called me ugly to a point that I am too ugly to even be harassed, in so many words.  To quote him exactly would require me to repost the video I commented on, and eh.  But John destroyed him in the comments.  Did we take the high road?  Nope.  But did it feel good to let that jackass have it?  Absolutely.  And, it's awesome that my dude doesn't let people treat me like garbage. 

Sure, I am over 30 and chubby, but I mean, I am a solid 7, 8 if I try.  And I mean, I am blisteringly cool to at least 3 people. So why should I give a damn what some skinny, pale, neckbeard thinks?  I looked at his pictures and he is no prize and absolutely single for several reasons.  But his words echoed in my head for most of the morning.  Life's been rough lately and naturally it decided to send a little bastard to kick me in the shins while I'm already limping.  Thanks, dick.

So what does all my whining about internet trolls on a quilting blog have to do with quilting?

Binding while pissed off goes fast.  And you get to stab something 3,000 (ish) times.  But most of all, as much as I bitch about handwork, it's very calming.  It never ceases to amaze me how much calmer I feel after even a 15 minute break at the office to stitch something.  It doesn't seem to matter how stressful a meeting was, or how annoyed I am by people, or how mad I am at the internet.  A little stitch time goes a long way. 

Do you feel judged? I feel judged.

Here is just a quick post to ask WTF IS THIS FABRIC.

Quilt Gate "Dear Little World"  

I already have the Nutrition Facts, Weight Watchers, and my big ol' butt o tell me all about calories and how I eat too many of them :3  

Sure, this would make a cute band on a dishtowel, but...get out of my face with that judgy "Danger" on my donuts, bish. 

Sunday Stash: eQuilter Order

It's been a rough goddamn week.  It started with the transmission dying in the Jeep on the freeway, continued with some pretty crazy coordination issues throughout the week that just about made me want to pull my hair out (and it's crazy short now...pixie cut for the win).  I swear to God, there isn't enough of me to go around sometimes...I need a clone.  If Elon Musk could put more energy into THAT instead of launching cars into space that would be friggin' ducky.  I'm not hatin' on Mr. Musk and his space stunts.  I watched the launch.  It was AMAZING.  But uh.  I'm gonna need that clone.  

But I needed a little retail therapy before I did indeed pull my hair out...which means I bought sweet, sweet fabric.  It isn't here yet, so pictures from the *~iNtErWeBz~* will have to do for now. 

So what sick picks did I end up with?  SO GLAD YOU ASKED.  

 Birds of Liberty - Oregon, by Darlene Zimmerman for Robert Kaufman.  For you non-Oregonians, that's a Western Meadowlark.

 Elizakitten Era by Alexander Henry.  I am NOT a cat person, but I do love some medieval, renaissance, and Elizabethan era history.  So of course this is GREAT.  I only got half a yard.  I will probably regret that. 

 Encyclopedia Galactica by Studio 1500 for Andover Fabrics.  Just because a girl talked some smack about launching a car into space doesn't mean she can't buy some space shit. 

Haunted House - Heart of Darkness by DeLeon Design Group at Alexander Henry.  Obviously this is glorious and I probably didn't buy enough.  Reminded me of From the Cradle to Enslave (Uh, if metal isn't your thing...don't click that.  Trust me. But if you do, it's the censored version because reasons)

 Tale of the Dragon by DeLeon Designs by Alexander Henry.  I love me some dragons.  I don't know what I will do with this yet but obviously it is badass. 

Aaaaaand my favorite.  TERROR OF THE DEEP from Natural Instincts, David Textiles.  I have been collecting toothy shark fabric for some time now as I find it because I need a quilt specifically to watch Shark week under. No, I am not kidding.  This will be the centerpiece.  CHOMP CHOMP MF.

I seriously cannot wait until these come in.  USPS needs to hurry tf up!

Product Review: Quilter's Touch Machingers Free Motion Quilting Gloves

Free motion quilters are always looking for ways to make to process easier, and for those working on a domestic machine, a good tactile grip is critical.  There are tons of products out on the market,  and this is one - Machingers by Quilter's Touch

Specs

• White gloves with grippy material starting at the fingertip and ending just past the top knuckle
• Synthetic material
• Sizes XS-XL
• $8.95

Pros

• The grippy material doesn't wear down quickly
• Good variety of sizes...many only go from Small to Large
• The material, despite being synthetic, is very breatheable

Cons

• There is no grippy material on the palms anywhere.  For me, the gloves tend to slide on my palms between my skin and the quilt which is irritating over long periods of quilting...not only because of the lack of grip, but the friction makes my skin mad. 
• The grippy areas show dirt big time being white.  We don't think of fabric as being dirty, but these gloves pick up whatever dirt there is plus skin oils plus lint and over a fairly short time the end get beige.  Gross.  
• For me, none of the sizes fit right.  I have broad palms and short wide fingers.  The L was too tight in the palm but just right for my fingers.  The XL was perfect for my palms, but the fingers were too long.  But then again I have weird little sausage hands and I cannot fault the product for that at all.  

Conclusion

★★☆☆☆

To be honest, I only go for these in a pinch when I can't find my preferred quilting gloves, which - SPOILER ALERT/QUILT HACK - are a $3 pair of gardening gloves from Fred Meyer's.  The grippy material is all over the surface of the palm and fingers and fits snugly enough that it doesn't slide on me.  $3 compared to $8.95?  No contest.  If you tend to use your fingertips when quilting versus a flat palm, then these will be great for you.  If not, then you're better off saving the $5. 

WIP: Grandma's Kitchen

I love me a good quilt along.  I need more projects like I need a hole in the head, but I suppose I could be addicted to meth instead of quilting so it's all about perspective, I guess.

What I love about quilt alongs is that they're generally very manageable in terms of time spent per segment and in total, and don't generally have huge fabric commitments either.  I'm not knocking Bonnie Hunter, her mystery quilts are fantastic and a lot of fun, but I am not usually looking to make 400 some odd flying geese in one week followed by like 200 square in a squares the next.  One or two blocks is fine for me, and it is yet another way for me to play with my scraps.

So Pat Sloan offers quilt alongs on a pretty regular basis, which I didn't know until I joined a Facebook group and someone posted about it.  So I started Grandma's Kitchen VERY late...like, in the last month.  Mom had been asking about the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt I did and seemed interested in doing something like that, but definitely didn't have time for 5 million flying geese. So I told her about Grandma's Kitchen, and we decided to do it together in our own styles.

She decided to use a springy Fig Tree fat quarter pack and one of Fig Tree's solids for her background, following the program's fabric requirements.  As usual I am not known for following instructions very well, and I decided to do mine all scrappy and in fall colors from my pit o'scraps. I don't have a picture of her blocks yet, but here's mine from earlier tonight.

I am using whites, creams, and tans for backgrounds, and fall colors plus dusty blue and plum and minus green.  After this picture was taken, I finished one more.  She will be somewhat annoyed to know I have gone ahead of her by three blocks, lol.  Pat just started a new one that I think is two blocks in...thinking I might jump in!

But there's something else cool about this quilt along.  It's called Grandma's Kitchen for a reason - it was inspired by her grandma and her memories of her.  I am fresh out of grandmas (applications accepted)...my Grandma Bowden passed in 2003, and Grandma Henderson passed in 2014.  I don't have them anymore, but I do have memories.  Each block is a theme around which people shared their memories.  Here are some of mine, in order from left to right.

Top Row, Block 1: The Kitchen Table
Lots of stuff happened around my grandmas' kitchen tables.  With Grandma Bowden, I would sit with her while she chain smoked and watched golf and we'd play Rummy for hours.  I feel like I should remember how to play Rummy, but I sure as shit don't.  Then with Grandma Henderson, we'd sit and talk, eat orange danishes, and she would play go fish with my brother and I...later she taught us how to play blackjack and hearts.  Lots of card games at grandma's kitchen table. 

Top Row, Block 2: Sticky Buns
This block is all about the made-with-love foods grandmas make.  To be honest, I don't remember the foods Grandma Bowden made...I don't recall much other than the great porkchop incident.  But she did a LOT of canning and had a fantastic backyard with several fruit trees, strawberries, grapes, tomatoes, and blackberries.  Great Grandma Bowden made some mean peanut brittle and sweet rolls.  Grandma Henderson made all kinds of goodies, on account the woman loved chocolate.  The best fudge on Earth came from her house.  Chocolate cookies.  Angel dessert. 

Top Row, Block 3: Key Holder
This block is all about the special places grandmas keep their keys.  Seems like they all have a funky bowl for keys in the kitchen.  Mine had a wooden key box near the garage door, where grandpa labeled every single hook.

Top Row, Block 4: Half a Modern
This block was about the contrast between Pat's two grandmas - one was all about having modern, up-to-date appliances, and the other didn't go for those things.  Mine were both fairly traditional, but I suppose Grandma Bowden was more practical and less sentimental about the stuff she kept.  Grandma Henderson was a curator of family things - she used my great grandmother's cookie press, kept her little bean pots, and little things like that. 

Top Row, Block 5: Glasses and Cups
Grandmas seem to have odd glasses that they have had since the dawn of time.  I remember Grandma Bowden had these huge, amber colored glasses.  I have a few of them now.  The bottoms are all scratched where they have been stirred for years and years.  They're great because they're so oversized.  Grandma Henderson had these funky, blue juice glasses that I always thought were so fancy because they were like chubby wine glasses.  She also had these pretty black and gold Japanese themed glasses...she used to use the shot glass to take her pills.

Middle Row, Block 1: Wash Day
I was very rarely around when it came to wash day at my grandmas'.  We lived out of state, so we only ever came over for vacation.  She might do a load of laundry here or there, but nothing massive.  Grandma Henderson I remember occasionally dried things out on the line in nice weather, but that's it.

Middle Row, Block 2: Oh My Stars!
Grandma's and their euphemisms around kids...they're great.  Grandma Bowden didn't exactly hold back on the swears, but Grandma Henderson tried.  I didn't hear her eve say shit until I was a teenager, and she looked around before she let it fly.  I do remember her saying that someone didn't know shit from shineola once.  She also said crapola quite a bit.  She had a thing for the -ola suffix.   

Middle Row, Block 3:  Grandma's Apron
Neither Grandma wore aprons that I can recall, so...I have nothing to say here.

Middle Row, Block 4:  Kitchen Window
Both grandmas had their sinks under a window, but their houses were quite different.  Grandma Henderson had a one story house, with a view into a small, but very green backyard.  There was a thermometer outside the window, and the view was stopped by some very tall arbor vitae.  Grandma Bowden had a two story house that, because the area they lived in was an addition, was oddly arranged.  The kitchen window looked out right over the neighbor's roof and into their backyard.  It made for good people watching...the neighbors were weird folks that the local PD probably knew by name. 

Middle Row, Block 5:  Recipe Box
SO much of their cooking came from their memory!  I don't think Grandma Bowden had a recipe book or box...she, to my awareness, did most if not all by memory.  Which I think is why we can't find the recipe for her lemon cake or stuffing.  Grandma Henderson also did a ton from memory, but kept a little, bright yellow index card box for recipes she clipped from magazines or got from friends. 

Last Row, Block 1: Peppermint Swirls
This is about the candy dishes ad candies grandmas keep.  Grandma Bowden had a pretty, purple mercury glass jar she always had chocolate coated peanuts in.  I loved to raid that thing!  Grandma Henderson didn't keep a whole lot of candies, but she would always get our favorite breakfast stuff. 

Last Row, Block 2: Kitchen Door
Grandma Bowden didn't have a kitchen door, on account that it was on the second floor; the deck was off the dining area.  Neither did Grandma Henderson...the way the house was arranged, the back door was off the dining area, and the "kitchen door" was off the laundry room. 

Product Review: Hamilton Beach Durathon Nonstick Iron

After blowing through TWO Rowenta irons in 2017, I decided to change it up and try a different brand.  Problem?  I am iron picky because of course I am.  Really, the issue is that most of the irons within the budget I am willing to allot for an iron are annoyingly light.  I like irons to have some heft to them.  It doesn't need to be cast iron or anything, but I like it to feel like it actually has the weight for a decent press.  Bought a Sunbeam. Decent iron, but light AF.  The the iron died at the shop and was replaced with a Hamilton Beach.  

Hamilton Beach.  I think my food processor is from them.  

But I liked it enough after using it at the shop that I bought one to replace my Rowenta.  

Specs

• Steam/no steam
• 10oz tank
• Electronic controls
• Retractable cord
• Non-stick plate
• Self-cleaning
• Anti-drip
• $39.99 at Bed, Bath and Beyond

Pros

• Has a good weight to it.  
• Retractable cord is nice to prevent tripping hazards
• Heats quickly and uniformly

Cons

• On the steam on setting, it depletes the water supply quickly whether actively in use or not; if it's sitting on, then it is depleting water.  I have to refill this sucker a LOT because I use steam all the time.
• Despite the anti-drip...it drips some.  But it's not consistent, so it might just be MY iron and not a universal issue.  

Conclusion

★★★☆☆

Really, more like three and a half.  The only real detractor for me here is how fast the water tank depletes.  Some of my cheaper irons with smaller tanks had their supply last longer.  But this is a good, solid iron and the price point I think is appropriate for what you're getting.  If this iron lasts longer than the Rowentas did, I might bump it to four stars, but longevity remains to be seen.  

Willamette Valley Quilt Festival Recap

This is gonna be a long one. 

So y'all are in for a treat.  If you didn't get to go to the Willamette Valley Quilt Festival, you get a little peek at the fun!  

The Basics

When: February 2-3, 2018

Where: Linn County Fairgrounds in Albany, Oregon

What can I say?  Great venue and a great turnout, especially for the first year of the event. 

Shameless Self Promotion

Check. It. Out. 

Naturally my questionable picture taking abilities makes it look a little shit, but I am very happy with how it turned out.  We always need bright colors in the grey Oregon winter, though happily the weather held up during set up and breakdown time! Basically, victory was mine.

I really like this one, so it got its own picture. It's my original design, and I have a pattern written for it, just not PDFed yet.  

The Show

I only had time to snap a few pictures of the walkway we were in at the very beginning of Day 1.  We got very busy, very fast, so it ever occurred to me to take more.  

Here's what strikes me here.  LOOK AT HOW SHINY THOSE FLOORS ARE.  Would you even believe that last weekend there were a bunch of hot rods in there?  They keep it up impressively well.  Our State Fairgrounds could learn a thing or two on facility upkeep from Linn County.

My Picks

There were a TON of quilts.  Way more than I ever expected for the first year of a show, and it was impressive.  They were all so different but all just magnificent.  I really, really wish I had time to get pictures of them all.  What follows are my favorites from the Quilt Walk.  I tried very hard to get the names of the quilters and their long arm quilters (if applicable) in all cases so appropriate credit could go to them for their work.  

 Celestial Dragon by Jan Bressler, Shirley Scott, and Lou Schafer. Quilted by Nancy Stovall.  

 Clam Clam by Shari Stewart.  Quilted by Lisa Taylor.

Creatures Great and Small by Debbie Garvin. 

 Creatures Great and Small by Debbie Garvin, detail.

 Gypsy Wife by Ginger Cadwell. 

  Gypsy Wife by Ginger Cadwell, detail.

 Happy Daze by Cindi Nofzinger.  

 Howdy by Dot Rohner.  Quilted by Janis Workman. 

R&R Bound by Judy Clay.  Quilted by Sharon Sauser.  I wish I took a picture of the full quilt; I thought I had, but I guess not.  I really loved the spiderweb quilting over the scrappy, non-Halloween blocks!

Rumely, m'Boy by Bett Kearl.

 Xaviar's Dragon by Cindy Bridges.  Quilted by Barb Schoonover.

Xaviar's Dragon by Cindy Bridges.  Quilted by Barb Schoonover, detail,

Quilter's Gnomes by Elnora Dyer.  This won Viewer's Choice, and made me chuckle.  So cute!

 Quilter's Gnomes by Elnora Dyer. Detail. 

Now for my very, very favorite!

Village by Sharon Hoyer.  Quilted by Jean McDaniels.  

Village by Sharon Hoyer.  Quilted by Jean McDaniels.  Detail.  It's a little hard to see, but the background is actually a green/white polka dot, which of course I LOVE.  Many of the prints in the appliques are Kaffe Fasset/Collective prints.  

 Village by Sharon Hoyer.  Quilted by Jean McDaniels.  Detail.

Village by Sharon Hoyer.  Quilted by Jean McDaniels.  Detail. 

 Village by Sharon Hoyer.  Quilted by Jean McDaniels.  Detail.

I definitely walked out of the show inspired and ready to sew.  They will be doing this again next year, and I can't wait to be a part of it again!

Stash Sunday - Quilt Show Goodies

What. A. Weekend.  I'll have a post up later this week about the show itself, but I am spent.  It was a great first year and I can't wait to see how it grows next year!

But in between the bursts of activity, I got to wander and shop a little.  Our buddy Diane at the Ladies of Liberty shop in Independence was our neighboring booth, and John discovered a real interest in Civil War reproduction quilts.  Who friggin' knew?  Not my style at all, but it was cool that he found something there that he just organically took interest in and liked.  So he was eyeballing some pieces that I could make up for him. 

We ended up bringing these babies home...two stacks of half yards from Andover, Windham, and Moda.  I can't see the lines all these are from, so sorry about that. 

He wants a traditional quilt, so that's going to really break me out of my bubble.  I do a lot with brights and funky fabrics and weird blocks so...yeah.  This will be a departure for me but since he picked the fabrics I know he will like it. 

So then I got to do a little shopping for me.  The Soujourn Collection was there, which I always enjoy her booth.  I picked up these lovely Malka Dubrawsky fat quarters, and one random fat quarter I just happened to like. 

Now THAT'S more up my alley.  I wish the picture could do these justice, the gold grid on the right just glows.  Rarely do I know exactly what I want to do with the fabrics I buy because I HAVE TO HAVE THEM, but these I do.  I use the Elisa's Backporch Designs circle template quite a bit, and these are just begging to be circle blocks. 

With the show done, I can relax a little and get some sewing-for-fun done.  I can't wait!