I'll Admit It.

       I'm taking a breather from the sale we're having of mom's craft room.  Hope nobody looked at the dust!  My yard and our gardens are a shambles since I was unable to work in them this past year.  Ah well, there's next year!
       Here's a picture of one of the dolls I was lamenting about in yesterday's post.  The link is:  www.gailwilsondesigns.com. 
 

     I love Gail Wilson's doll designs.  They are so beautiful.  You can see the artist's touch in them.    

     And then here's the moment I have to share.  I was quilting one afternoon at my old quilt store in town.  I was being very studious and was very intent on my project.  It was lunch time, but I was positive I could get my project done in a short bit, so I grabbed my sandwich and continued on at the sewing machine.  I was stitching two long 2 1/2" strips together.  Concentrating on the machine, I pulled the straight pins out jamming them into the pincushion just as fast as the sewing machine came upon them and was so proud that I had put them together in a flash  Then  I looked over to grab my sandwich and found out it was making do as a new pincushion!.        

Sewing . . .

      Okay, I've been sewing since Home-Ec class in high school.  We made an apron and a tote bag. That's all I remember.  The strange thing is - I didn't like sewing.  I even used to work at "Northwest Fabrics" when it was out on 29th St. in Wyoming.  I loved looking at the fabric, feeling it, and helping customers pick out colors, yet I still didn't really like sewing.  I would make our children shorts in the summer, and our daughter cute summer dresses, but didn't really enjoy it.  
      Then I discovered quilts.  I made my first one when our son was a toddler.  It was a Log Cabin design from an Eleanor Burn's "Quilt in a Day" book.  I was hooked!  I've decided that quilting and sewing are two different animals.  I don't "sew".  :)
     My mom has moved to California to live with my brother and his wife who is a wonderful nurse.  Mom used to make wonderful, old-fashioned, sometimes primitive-looking dolls that were designed by Gail Wilson.  I love, love, love these dolls!  For every birthday and Christmas mom made me one of the dolls.  When she moved there were still lots of doll patterns and kits to be made yet.  She can't do them anymore.  I still want, want, want them.  But I don't want to make, make, make them!  
     Mom could delicately paint the faces on these dolls.  Articulate the fingers, make noses, and create the hair with mohair fiber.  I've been staring at the box of these patterns and kits for a month.  I have no idea how to even start the process of making these dolls.  I know that if I want the completed doll to set on a shelf that I'm going to have to make them.  The kits come with beautiful photos of each doll that Gail Wilson designed.  Hmmm, maybe I'll just hang the photos on a wall!
     Back to my quilting! 

What a day!

     I know this blog is suppose to be all about quilting, but I have to share that I saw my oncologist today and found that I'm cancer free.  I feel so blessed.  I went through a major trial in my life and don't know, and may never know, why.  But God knows.  So now I move on.
     I'm just finishing up on a Thimbleberries project.  It is called "Sedona" and is a beautiful wall hanging.  It's an old pattern.  Do you find that you go through stages of designs, colors or fabrics?  I remember that I was real big on Debbie Mumm fabric and patterns for a while, and then I moved on to Thimbleberries.  Now I'm into Kansas Trouble designs and fabric.  And I've just discovered Red Button Quilt Co.
     I guess that's why the quilt market keeps moving forward!  It's never stale! 
     I have friends who just love bright colors.  Those who love the sixties fabric.  Or batiks.  Or Civil War (I confess I still do!).  And even the 50's feedsack look.  I've wondered over the years how a new idea for fabric can even be designed.  Hasn't it all been done?  Then, sure enough, something new pops up.
     New pattern design puzzle me too!  Hasn't it all been done before there too?  Nope!  New and fun designs and techniques keep merging.  And thank goodness too!      

Moda Fabrics

     Gals used to come into my quilt store and, without blinking an eyelid, tell me "I'm a Moda Fabric snob".  I'd smile because I could understand.  Moda Fabric has a lovely, soft texture to it.  I'm not exactly sure what makes it so - but it is nice.  Yet, I've also found that Kaufman has a similar soft feel to it, and a few other lines of fabric.  Try not to limit yourself to just one name brand fabric line.
     We all love a sale on fabric!  There are a few variety stores that carry very inexpensive fabric in pre-cut pieces.  It's hard to resist. But keep in mind that even though the selvage may have the printed name of a top fabric designer or top fabric line, the printed fabric in your hands is most likely to be first run test fabric and printed on not so nice base fabric.  If the fabric feels stiff, or you can hold it up to the light and see clear across the store through it, don't buy it.  Or buy it just to make sample quilt blocks in.  It's not worth saving the money to have your well-loved finished quilt fray at the seams. 
     Yet you might find a treasure!  That piece of fabric that IS quality fabric and is simply from an old fabric line!  It doesn't hurt to look . . . and feel!   
     Here's one of my favorite treasure spots:  www.modabakeshop.com.
      

Drop Me A Line!

     Not everyone wants to follow this site by signing up fo a Google link.  No problem!  I understand - the internet can be tenuous.  You can also choose to follow this site and get an email each time I post by using the "email" offer on the left side of the front page. 
     Let me know you are following this blog by emailing me a short note, or posting a comment so I can add your name to the hat for a doorprize in October!  I hope to have enough followers to justify giving away a gift!  Thanks! 

Ouch!

     This morning I was moving a chair.  It stopped, but my knee kept going.  Ugh!  Right on the knee cap.  Why do those things always hurt so much?  My limbs seem to always find the corners of end tables, the footboard of our bed, and even the knob that sticks out on the china cabinet.  I don't even drink!
     I thought I'd share a photo of an online Block of the Month I'm working on right now.  It was last year's project for this site and I actually printed them off as the months went on, but didn't actually start on it until I was feeling better this summer.  It is so cute!  I just love the colors.  I actually went online and searched for the fabric too.  I'm doing September's block now, and can't wait to get the top done.  I'm wonder just how I'll quilt it.  I've never done an embroidery quilt before and am not sure.  Tell me what you think!  The link is www.littlemissshabby.com.
   

How to 'Follow' Me!

     I've received a couple of questions about how to actually 'Follow' me on this blog so that your names always get into my drawing for give-aways, and be able to leave comments on Posts or Prayers.
     Simply click on the light blue "Follow Me" tab on the right hand side of the page.  It will offer you three ways you can sign up to follow this blog (Google, Twitter, or Yahoo).  If you are not already signed up on of those - then just go through Google.  It's easy.
     Hope this helps!
Barb