'Tis the Season...

Wow! Where does the time go? Just seems like we start October and here it is coming to a close. What does that mean for me? It means holiday hours at work. I get to go in an hour earlier. Woot! :-( Christmas is almost here. We get to put the tree up, and at least i can look forward to that. Plus I get a year older in the coming months. :-(

In the last post I had mentioned that I would be getting pictures of the Sewing and Quilting Expo. I did remember to take my camera, but they had signs up that read taking of pictures are prohibited. I just could not bring myself to sneak in a few shots. I did think about it a few times. Then I thought they would come and haul me away. I will do my best to describe what I saw.

The one that just stands out in my mind is a small wall hanging made by Sue Hausmann. It was done using the new 4D Family Portrait and an embroidery machine. The picture was of her grandsons graduation and it looked life like. Better than any picture stitch I have ever seen. Most of the pictures I have seen stitched out look better the farther away you get, but up close does not look like much other than threads. This one looked good even up close. I was in awe. Almost makes we want to buy an embroidery machine and the program. Almost. There were a group of items that were done by Jenny Haskins, I just love her stuff. She can take simple embroidery designs and combine then together and make them look like WOW! She had a foot warmer on display that was just gorgeous. I did find this on Jenny's web site and the picture does not do the real thing justice. Its the quilt in the upper left hand side done similar to the foot warmer. You just have to see it in person to really know the beauty of the warmer. The warmer was made out of silk fabrics. Just think of how much that would cost me to make.

Done in One challenge by Fons and Porters Love of Quilting was kind of a cool display of projects that you could finish in a weekend. I thought this was a great idea and my kind of contest. I did find some pictures of the Done In One challenge winners online. I just love the web sometimes.

There was the New England Quilt Museum Founders Exhibit and also the 2008 Hoffman Challenge Quilts and dolls on display. Lots of great items to look at. I was in awe. I just wished I could have gotten some pictures for you. Click here to check out the photo gallery of the the expo.

I am proud of myself. I got up at 5:30am (it was early for me and not planned) and worked on my Another Little Quilt Swap project and got the binding and label on the quilt. Woot! Just need to get it in the mail to my partner. I think the quilt is due to be mailed out by Nov 6 so that does not leave me much time. I will post pictures once my partner had gotten the quilt. As I am looking at it, I see a few loose threads that I need to go back and snip.

Charlie

Sewing and Quilt Expo

Are you ready for the Sewing and Quilt Expo this weekend at the KCI Expo center? The expo is going on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I will be there on Thursday morning after I have breakfast with my mother. We are going down to the Corner Cafe in Riverside and I am going to have some biscuits and gravy. Yum yum!

Let me know if you are planning to be at the sewing expo. Maybe we can meet. I will get some pictures and post them here after the show.


Remember this group of fabrics, from a few months back? I still have not come up with any ideas for this fabrics. Please post any patterns you might think will look good with this group of great fabrics. There I go again with that autumn color pallet. I just keep going back to it over and over again.

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Thanks!
Charlie

12 Steps and Cute as a Button!

I am loving this autumn weather we are having. All the leaves are changing and turning into bright yellows to vibrant reds. These are my colors. I fall back upon them time and time again, but I am trying to think out of my comfort zone. Hard to do sometimes. I am just drawn to the Autumn colors, and if you look at my stash it just screams out Autumn.

I have decided that I am going to try to use up most of my stash, it is just getting way out of hand and I am always wanting new fabric, but never use up what I have. Sometimes I think it might be best if I just buy what I need. Lets face it, how many of us really use our stash? Maybe a piece here and there, but for the most part we buy what we need. I would like to be the fist to say: My name is Charlie and I am a fabricaholic. Who would like to stand with me and join our little 12 step program by using up their stash. Show of hands please. Can't take it with you and if I were to ever move I do not want to schlep it around.

I am almost done! Done with what you ask? Done with my Another Little Quilt Swap Quilt. I was able to get it quilted and the buttons sewn on today. I just have to get the label and binding on. I will get the binding placed on tomorrow, but as for the label that is another story all together.

As many of you know I dislike to do any hand sewing of any kind. I really many ANY. So here lies the problem, how to get the label on the back of the quilt. If I were to do it by machine it will show on the front. Then I thought about using steam-a-seam 2 around the edges, but I am just not sure. Also thought about sending the label with the quilt and some chocolates and letting my secret pal place it on, but that is just tacky and rude. I need your help in this matter. Post any idea's you might have. I will take any help you could give me.

Charlie

I'm Still Alive

I do not have my computer back up and running yet. I have since found out that I have a fried mother board and I am not sure what I want to do yet. I think I am going to take my BH's computer and he will get a laptop. We just need to save up some money. A good laptop is not as cheap as a desktop.


I am still working away on my Another Little Quilt Swap quilt. I have all the blocks done and have all but two blocks sewn together to complete the top. Then I will be ready for the quilting and binding. You would think I would have a 20" square quilt done by now, but for some reason I am finding this harder to do than a lap size quilt.


I am joining another swap. This time around I am partaking in a fabric square swap of 5" squares. A great way to rid of them left over scraps that I no longer want. Juliette over at Chickpea Sewing Studio is hosting this swap. The Spare Change swap is easy -- you just need to send 24 5"x5" squares of fabric and a self-addressed stamped envelope, and you'll get 24 different pieces in return. The fabrics you send can even be all cut from the same print. The goal is to have a great variety of new fabrics to make a white & scraps quilt. Sounds good to me! Just think of all the quilts one can make with 5" squares. Look out swaps, here I come!

Charlie

P.S. I filled up with gas today and it was $2.73 and now when I got home it was $2.71. I can not believe the prices. I hope it is as cheap in your neck of the woods as it is here in Kansas City.