Thursday, August 20, 2015

Really Random Thursday, 8/20/15

School has started here. Crazy, right? That means that last Saturday, Mark started refereeing football.
And at the same time, the grandkids came over for the morning. The weather was nice. We ate bagels and cream cheese outside. It was nice.
Tuesday night, dear friends from Kansas spent the night in Fresno and we got to spend some time with them. We have known them for 42 years. Crazy!
Yesterday I was picking up my Honda Pilot from having some recall work done. I saw this sign next to the cashier. We have known Corey for years. I'm not sure what the toptech zone competition involved but he did really well. Way to go,Corey!
Have you read "The Day the Crayons Quit"? I didn't think there could be a children's book as great as that one. I was wrong.
Inspiration for future quilts. Do you have a collection of photos like this too?
Too much inspiration surrounds me. Which is why this might apply...
Ah....candy through the decades.
 Have you noticed that there are coloring books everywhere?
 

I have heard that studies are showing that coloring can be very calming and therapeutic. If that is true, then I'm pretty sure I wouldn't buy this one.
Or maybe that's the one I need...


Friday, August 14, 2015

Finish It Friday

I love sewing with selvages. At the end of October, I'm teaching a class--my Spool Play quilt. So I thought it would be fun to take a class from someone teaching a selvage project, to see how someone else uses selvages.

The project was a large tote bag, with the emphasis on large. I sewed panels for the front and bag with looooong selvages. I'm used to working with shorter pieces so this was a fun challenge.
I'm thrilled with how the bag turned out.
Two things I would do differently when I make this again. Because I will be making this again. First of all, I would not sew it on my Featherweight. Don't get me wrong. I love my Featherweight. But the throat size is small and you need to go through a lot of bulky layers when making this bag. And secondly, the designer had us use Osnaburg, which is a very loose weave fabric. I love the look but it stretches. A lot. Next time I will use canvas or Essex linen.

I used vintage buttons from Mark's mother.

And the other side:

In other exciting news, I'm in a rock star video. Well, not me exactly. My two New Hexagon Millefiore rosettes are in the video. Right at the 1:37 mark. It was kind of mind blowing when the marketing director contacted me about whether I would be interested in having pictures in the video. Um, yes PLEASE!!

In case the video doesn't play on your device, here is the YouTube video link.

And that's it for me today. I'm linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts, TGIFF and Confessions of a Fabric Addict. Have a great weekend.

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Really Random Thursday, 8/13/15

I have spent quite a bit of time sewing this week so there are works in progress.

The binding on this one is nearly complete. Full reveal soon.
The blocks are done and sewn into rows. Although I might change two of them around. Do you ever obsess over block placement? You fix one problem. And it creates another problem.
I sewed selvages together. Lots of long selvages.
I took a class on making this bag. It's complete and I'll show the whole thing tomorrow. But after I posted a picture on Instagram/Facebook, my friend Jeff made this funny comment. "Selvie stick"--haha. (Hi, Jeff.)

I was going through the photostream on my phone and forgot to post this picture from the quilting retreat back in July. Seen in Gruber's Quilt Store. I think it takes a confident man to wear a watermelon shirt.
We had yearly family photos taken last night in our backyard. Eight adults and six kids. That's a lot of pictures. Between "takes," there was tree climbing going on. (We have a sign collection on our fence, in case you are wondering.)

And finally, this arrived in the mail yesterday, official notice of a loan paid in full. I know you can't read the tiny date at the bottom. January 2007. In the letter it says if we have any questions regarding the release of this debt, we can call. My first question would be: Why did it take 8 1/2 years to get this letter??
Anything random happening with you?

Friday, August 7, 2015

Delta Breeze

I'm over at the Timeless Treasures blog today. You can see my new favorite quilt, Delta Breeze, along with a tutorial on how to make the blocks.

I used a Soho Solids limited edition fat quarter stack called Plume. Beautiful colors! And you know how I love my solids. So I hope you'll go over and check it out.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Really Random Thursday, 8/6/15

Welcome, August. That means cooler weather will be here soon. Like about the end of November here in central California. Although we have been having unseasonably cool weather for this time of year, just hovering around the mid to high 90s and cooling off nicely overnight. I'll take it!

This was the sky one morning last week. So pretty.

Yesterday I took the grandkids to see Inside Out. We were nearly the only ones in the theater for this showing, maybe because it was a morning showing.Such a good movie.
Crazy fun along the way...
I'm attempting to do this in the month of August, a photo a day. I've done these in the past and it's fun to come up with something that fits the prompt of the day.
Day 2, "Can't (won't) live without" (aside from the goofballs in the photo above...) is music and coffee. What about you?
This was my first idea for "colorful," although I ended up choosing something else (which you can see on Instagram at @liveacolorful life). I need to come up with a good idea for using these. I saw that Jacquie Gering framed some Pantone notecards and hung them on the wall, which is a great idea. If only I could find some extra wall space.
I just can't get too much of this place, Kuppa Joy, locally owned by the coolest couple.
Things have been coming and going around here.

Outgoing: This hat to my brother, who loves his duck call. Who wouldn't want a hat signed by a three-time world duck calling champion.
Incoming: These two crocheted baskets made by my friend of over forty years, Trudy.
This was emailed to Mark. I can't complain. As long as we put things on a list, they get completed in a timely manner.
A couple of people sent this to me. It's like they are trying to tell me something...


Any comings and goings in your life?