Church Ladies

Last night I did my first monthly craft night with the church ladies. Noooooo...not THE church lady, though these were just as funny.

I started out trying to baste a quilt for my youngest nephew only to realize (with no extra fabric or machine) that I was short by 5" on my backing width. I did enjoy using the huge church tables when I was ironing my top and backing, though. It really helped support the weight of the top and bottom and made ironing a *little* more enjoyable. I then learned how to do needleturn applique and hand quilting. I don't think the hand quilting is for me (warm and natural batting is very hard to hand quilt through OR I am a complete weakling). I loved the applique part. It was so much simper to hear someone knowledgable explain how to do it. It's definitely something I am going to be trying, especially when we go on long car trips.

There was TONS of laughing, tons of baked goods, and tons of storytelling. By the end of the night I was probably the only person not to have accomplished an actual crafting finish BUT I had a blast and can't wait to do it again. I got home at 3 a.m. and crashed. I woke up not even knowing what day it was and consequently what was going on with my kids. You'd think a woman who has recently raised infant twins would be a little more adjusted to sleep deprivation, but you would be wrong.

Hopefully I can post again later this week with a happy update that my sewing machine is home in my sewing nook. I can't wait!!

Tuesdays at Tuesday Morning...

On Tuesdays all three of my boys are in school for a big chunk of the day. Little boys learn very quickly that a craft store has pretty much NOTHING they want. With no real incentive to behave (besides keeping mom from looking and acting like a deranged lunatic), shopping in a craft store with my kids has become a nightmare. I discovered a few weeks ago that Tuesday Morning stores have started carrying crafting supplies. There are some scrapbooking things, sewing things, and quilting things. The selection is spotty at best, but the prices make up for it.



I got this HUGE self healing cutting mat for 8.99 a few weeks. The OLFA in this size is $70 I think. I also found these little heart tags which are layout organizers. You write the row number and block number, then pin the tag onto your block. This is great for me...I usually use masking tape. The organizers were $1.79 for a set of 56. I used them today to get a layout together for my retro lamplight quilt.


I took a picture of 2 of my grid rulers. The 6.5inch square was 1.99!!! They also had the big 6.5"x23" (my absolute favorite) for 4.99. I paid so much for these...I would be sick had I not found other deals. I got the Dresden plate template with the boning tool for 1.59. I also picked up one for my best friend. The smallish scissors were 39 cents each...great since I lose the smaller thread cutting scissors. I also got a double pack of Fons and Porter quilting gloves for $1.99. They had tons of other neat things like directional arrow pins and cute pincushions. If you have a Tuesday Morning, it really is worth checking out. It would be perfect for a beginner to get stocked up for cheap.

Getting the Shakes

My machine, a Juki HZL E70, has been in the shop for 3 weeks now. UGH. I'm seriously getting the shakes from not sewing this long. I never realized what a stress reliever the sewing was for me. I've spent too much money, cut out too many quilts, and eaten too much chocolate. What's a girl to do next? Start blogging???

I have been quilting for almost exactly 1 year now. I rarely use a true pattern, though I am not a fan doing pure improv quilting. I like to put the thought into my quilts before I ever start sewing. By the time I start stitching I like just kind of letting go and sewing it...no more thought involved. Since I have no finishes this week I'll leave you with some of my favorite quilts of this first year.



This quilt was made for my oldest son. He loves Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang. The backing is a peanuts fabric and the front is composed of yellow and black polka dot fabric. I'd love to have a do-over of this one...I'd use better fabric and I'd do better on my binding. He loves it to death and that's all that counts, I guess!



This crayon quilt was made for my youngest son. He had pretty much driven me insane with his wall coloring. At 2 years old there were secret stashes of markers, crayons, pencils, and pens all over the house. Paint had become a regular cleaning supply. I joke that Magic Eraser prevents child abuse. When it came time to make a quilt for him, I came up with this pattern. i was inspired by some internet photos to use a print for the wrapper and a solid for the actual crayon. The green crayon tip is a little wonky..I used a variation on a snowball block and I just didn't get it perfect BUT of the 3 quilts I have made by my mother, none are perfect, but all are cherished. I stippled this and I am happy to say after several months of use it is finally softening up.


Finally this quilt was made for my husband's grandmother. I never had a grandparent...they had passed on before I made it to the world. I have kind of adopted her. She's the kind of woman we all want to be. She is such a lady with such impeccable manners and a beautiful southern drawwwlllll, but she is no pushover! I decided to make this for her this winter...the first winter since her sweet husband passed away (he was a HOOT). I hope it has kept her warm. It turned out to be a timely gift since this is the coldest winter in the history of the world ever!!! I picked out that sweet Angel Cakes fabric by Alexander Henry because it reminded me of little 1950's children...her only son was born in 1953. The rest came from stash.

I really don't buy matching fabrics or fat quarter sets. I buy what I can afford and like (usually the half off rack at the quilt shop) and just save it up for the perfect project. I'm really drawn to quilts with random fabric choices. I love the beautiful ones that are all matched up, but there is something so reminiscent of my mother in making do with what you have. She passed away when I was 19 and I never really learned much except basic sewing and threading a machine. I feel very close to her whenever I sit down to the machine, and I think that's a huge part of why not having my machine has been giving me the shakes. Until next time...

P.S. I apologize for the photos. I really never saw myself blogging so I never took wonderful pictures. I will try to do better in the future!