Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Selling Your House . . . What Clutter???

Any quilter that has ever put their house up for sale, has heard those words, 'but you must reduce the clutter' then they look at you - then at your sewing studio. Hubby looks at me as well indicating the 'clutter' of my studio is what is going to take the most work! It's not clutter, it's creativity strewn about. Then came the next pronouncement about finishing up customer quilts, because we need to get the longarm quilt machine OUT of the dining room (auxillary studio room 2).

Then you start boxing up ALL that fabric (so that's where that piece of brown went). You start to realize that you've got fabric you haven't seen for 10 years. What's nice about this move is that I was able to do some sorting and probably the biggest thing is having my studio be in 1 room instead of across 3.

Last time we moved the movers just threw everything in together, I found quilts at bottom of a box with bathroom stuff on top in box labeled bathroom). I was able to put all my feedsacks and vintage fabrics together, purse/totebag 'makings', UFO's, 30's fabric, civil war fabric, quilt tops, ready to quilt and so on.

I was also able to get rid of lots of things (so there will be room for more). Thread. I got a lot of thread from when my mom died. Most of it I gave to Laurie, but some I kept for the serger. Well, I don't use the serger much, and had about 30 spools of polyester serger thread that I put on eBay and sold in lots. That auction ends later today. Looks like there are lots of watchers, so expect lots of activity on that just before it closes. I've also got a bunch of older quilting thread that I got when I bought the old machine. They are types of threads that I just don't use, and haven't used the past couple of years. I think I will sell those in lots on ebay as well.

I cut a couple of boxes of fabric into strips and blocks and are ready to make some scrappy quilts. Some of it will make good backings for charity quilts.

Monday, March 27, 2006

If I Only Had Grandkids!

Since I don't have any grandkids, the girls at work benefit from my need to make baby quilts. Several ladies from my Friday Bee did the Shop Hop on a bus this past Saturday. Had a blast, found more batiks and my special project of a baby quilt for Marna. Now, she is not due until July, but you never know. Her only request is that I use Lime Green, Bright Lemony Yellow and Bright Orange! Since she doesn't know if it's going to be a boy or girl, didn't really want pinks or blues.

Take a look at these! I just can't help but smile when I look at them. I hope she will like them as well. Of course, I bought more fabric than I need for a baby quilt, but since I was hitting quilt shops that I don't normally get to visit, I had to get while the getting was good. Most of these came from Quakertown Quilts in Friendswood, Texas.

Now, I just have to figure out what pattern to use? Any suggestions?

Enthralled by Batiks

For years I have pointedly avoided buying any batiks. It's not like I don't have enough (who has enough??) fabric. Oranges, Reds, Purples. . . those aren't ANY colors that I'm used to using. I'm so traditional, playing safe with the 30's reproduction quits, and some of those beautiful muted colors of the 1800s.

Well, a couple of weeks ago, some of my longarm quilting buddies and I went to a semi-local quilt shop (Plain and Fancy just North of Houston). Those batiks just reached out and bit me. Obsessed over choices and picked out 25 fat quarters and some yardage.


This picture shows the inspiration piece and the fat quarters I picked to go with them.

I sat playing with them, trying figure out what I could make with them. I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH!!!

So then, I started googleing batik quilts. Discovered Judy Niemeyer. OMG! Have you seen some of her quilts? Now, anyone that knows me knows I don't do paper piecing, but... I've got a couple of her patterns on order. I thought about starting with 4th of July, but think I'll start with Indian Summer before attempting the 4th of July quilt!

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Happy Anniversary !

Jon and I are celebrating 29 years of marriage today. At the time we got married, 29 or 30 years into the future did not even compute! Heck, at that time, we thought that life would be over by the time we reached age 30. We would have done it all, and what would be the point after that! All I have to say is that 'life' the past few years have been so much better than my wildest imagination from the 70's. Yes, things are different than what I thought they would be, I thought my parents would always be around... Who would of thought I'd be living in Texas and looking forward to becoming a grandmother of all things!!!

We finally have a closing date for the new house. March 31. Yesterday, I started having a bit of 'buyers remorse' wondering what the heck we were doing, buying a new house, a new mortgage and all that goes with it. I love the house we're in, but we are both tired of having the quilting machine in the dining room. This new place will give both of us 'workshop' or studio type areas that we can quilt our quilts or build airplanes. Only problem is that now we have to work a few more years so that we can afford this new place. So much for retirement!