Weekend Jump Start

We got a jump start on the weekend last night...
we went out on the lake and had a great evening with the newlyweds and DIL's parents..
and these ducks too! White ducks??? Hmm?

I love riding around and seeing the houses along the shore.

I might have to do a whole post on them!

 

Today was back to reality... but I did have to go to a certain doctor, one that starts with a "Ob/gyn". You know my philosophy on that! I need immediate reward for pain and suffering inflicted!

So I ran in to Jxxxxx's to pick up some needles and thread... and I saw this magazine! I have been wanting that magazine for months, ever since Carrie posted about it... and the fact that she has a quilt in it! I haven't really been to the big city to even try to find it... and there it was calling my name!  So,  how many would say that they would go to the "O" doctor just so they could get this magazine?

I don't see any hands up out there!

Anyway, now I have some new reading material for the weekend! (as soon as I finish my contest quilt and submit it to Kelly at Charming Chatter)

If you hadn't noticed I have been playing around with my blog too... I thought I would try on a simple look. I'm still working on it so check back and let me know what you think.

Lucky You, Lucky Me!

First I have to make a PSA...
(a public service announcement)...
For all you Schnibblers out there.
This is a test:
 Do you remember the State Fair parade when we announced the new
pattern for July? Joy Luck?
It was just barely getting out to the shops at that time so we mentioned were were going to grant a ...
A.stay of execution.
B. A reprieve.
C. A grace period.

If you picked C you are right!
We had stated that we would have the actual parade for Joy Luck on August 5th.
Lucky you!
Sherri and I will still be having the unveiling of the August Schnibble project on
August 1st as usual.

Now in other news:
I managed to get my borders on Due South
last week and promptly put it in the LQS-- where it now
hangs, for the next month at least. I will be teaching a class on it
and unfortunately there just was not time to get it quilted first.
I know it will be so much nicer when the longarm works it's magic.

I won something: Lucky me!

I got a couple of wonderful packages in the mail this week.

Pictured above was a giveaway prize that I won from the talented  Ms. Cyndi at  Bluebird Swing!

She is the sweetest person! I was so excited to get it in the mail and even better she added a few other

things including a Key fob that she made. I love it all!

 

You know what's better than watermelon in the summer? A watermelon pincushion! It arrived yesterday from my pincushion swap partner! KarrieLyne at Freckled Whimsy blog.

How lucky am I to have met her and become her swap partner???

 I love this watermelon...I love watermelon the fruit kind also... but her watermelon pincushion was extra special to receive/complete with pins ta' boot! I have been loving that pattern... but I knew I was probably a little to lazy to make it for myself! And do you see those Verna squares??? B-o-n-u-s ! 

Of course I feel terrible because the Pincushion Swap is through August... so, I have been dragging my feet.

Now I need to get myself in gear and get something out to her! Pronto!!!

Thank you so much KarrieLyne and Cyndi!  

I also wanted to thank everyone for their input on my county fair entry choice! It looks like it was a slam dunk for the Jan Patek quilt. I think I will go ahead and put in the Acorn Quilt Co. quilt too but keep your fingers crossed for me... and we'll see if my luck holds out!

Which One Would You Pick?

Over the weekend I looked at quilts that I might want to enter into our County Fair.

Here are the ones I thought might be good contenders:

This was a Jan Patek pattern.

This one was from an Acorn Quilt & Co. pattern.

This was a Fig Tree pattern.

The one here on the table (with the checkerboard around the block) was one of the quilts I had entered

a few years ago... it won the Blue Ribbon Judges Choice and Viewers Choice. I haven't entered anything since... I didn't want to press my luck if you know what I mean!

My Wheels Are Turning

It's that time again to put my planning into action.

Every year I plan and coordinate a retreat at nearby Bass Lake.

 It's called Pine Needles Quilt Camp.

It's a 3 day event in October while the weather is still nice, kind of the time when we have Indian Summer.

A couple of years ago my friend Virginia started helping me with the retreat, which has made it more fun and less of the work part for me! Ok, honestly, the work is fun for me also...

anyway, I am excited to say that we have already filled up

and we started taking names for a waiting as of the first of the month.

I am looking forward to seeing familiar faces,

sewing projects and a lot of laughter!

Here are a couple of group shots of the girls.

Now, I need to start working on my projects I have planned to demonstrate there.

Virginia is always in charge of the Mystery Quilt project and I have a couple of small projects to

show the girls and then a large project also. Last year our main project was, my favorite: Dresden Plates!

It's still a surprise... so I can't tell you the projects yet.

Here is a little project that I thought would be fun...

I found it over at Sew 4 Home. I know these fabrics look familiar! I was going to wait to show you this until I had whipped one up out some of my Fig Tree leftover fabrics but I just had to share it now!

I am in need of new pillows- a seriously overlooked part of my decorating.

Have you ever been to Quilting in the Garden? It's at Alden Nursery in Livermore CA.

Last year Joanna of Fig Tree fame was their featured quilter.

This year Sue Nickels will be the featured quilter. It's September 25 & 26

and I am making plans to go there! They have classes too. There will be several amazing celebrities there: Alex Anderson, Denise Sheenan, A Graceful Stitch, Elizabeth of Late Bloomer, Tracy Souza of Plum Cute Designs to name a few! I can't imagine not seeing Pam Kitty Morning there! I'm not sure which will be more exciting to see... all the quilts or all the quilters I admire!

There is a wonderful quilt shop nearby also, In Between Stitches, which is in Quilt Sampler magazine, the Spring issue, right now! Hmmm, more fun there!

Right now I am trying to put together a list of quilts that I might want to enter into our County Fair.

For the life of me... I can only think of  a couple that are actually finished right now!  and a couple that aren't finished... that I might have a chance of getting done. The deadline to enter is August 7th. Quilts have to be at the fairgrounds on August 20th. But the fair isn't until Labor Day weekend.

Help me out if you can think of any I have blogged about that might be contenders! 

I will have to show you my quilt that won Best of Show there before. Next time.

A New Arrival Or Two

Remember the bag I showed you yesterday for my swap partner?
I am participating in the Summer Tote Swap at Dandelion Quilts and I got a package
 in the mail from my swap partner!
Is this not the sweetest tote bag ever?

I love this bag... and it has polka dots too! And an adorable little flower to embellish the

corner of the bag! There were other goodies inside also..

 

I had just been over at the Riley Blake blog and had printed out a couple of their freebie patterns. I love their fabric lines... and lo & behold, this tote is made out of their fabrics! I love it Melinda- thank you so much!
Her blog is Melinda's Fabric Fancies.
Lots of fun things on her blog... and another picture
of  some wallets she made like the one she sent to me! Really cute!

There's  another new arrival of sorts that I wanted to share with you:..

there's a new blogette on the block!

 Her name is Cyndy and she not only has a new blog

which is called Prim Point

 Cyndi also has a new web site Prim Point
She has the sweetest new embroidery patterns and other patterns too. Don't you love this Elf?
A little story is starting to unravel here... as it turns out, we are related!
More to follow-- in the meantime please go say hello!

Crazy Hot Quilter Ahead!

Why did I pick a hobby that is so HOT! I don't just mean hot... but it's really too hot to quilt! Not that I have any intentions of NOT quilting, but seriously! Who else wraps themselves up in what is becoming a BLANKET in the heat of Summer?
There were laws past during the industrial revolution to protect people from sweatshops, right?
Well, evidently I am a tyrant.
I didn't let myself out of my sewing room all day yesterday...
with one exception: to sweep and mop my floors!LOL
But I did make progress on my list of projects!
I have my rows for the Fig Tree Cub project...

and I have the sashing... so that is getting close to finished. Or so it seems... of course there is inner and outer borders too!

A tote bag for my swap partner...

now I just need goodies to put in it! Hmm, I did make a wallet but it turned out crappy very less than perfect, so I have to try that again!

 

I like the tucks on this purse pattern!

Freckled Whimsy quilt along project, part 1. The fabric. I'm going retro on this one!

My upside down picture of Due South.. or is it North... Carrie has me all confused on this one. I just need to slap those borders on this one too... and then whala, the quilter does her magic!

What To Do Next

It's time to reveal my "list".

Kelly at the Charming Chatter blog hosts the Charming Guys & Girls Quilt Club.

This starts a new "year" for the group and each month, well every two months,  has a theme.

For July and August the theme is Self-Care. So I will add a couple of things for "me" on the list besides sewing type projects.

I suppose shopping is not what she means by self-care... but don't you love this picnic tin?

It was in Coast Magazine! You can purchase it through a company out of England...

so, with shipping and all... well, let's just say that it will be staying on my list this time!

This is the start of the Fig Tree Club project. The group will meet on August 7th at Cottage Quilts... so I will need to have this sample done by then.

I have to (get to) make a tote bag for my swap partner for Dandelion Quilts' Summer Tote Swap!

I am anxious to get this done and in the mail. It's first on my list... along with the FT project!!

I have two months of these BOM's to make now... it just started and already I'm behind!

How does that happen?

I really need to make myself a new wallet... that is going on the list too!

I am also in a pincushion swap... and have a great partner that I get to send a special pincushion to!

(I have no idea where I got this picture from... but I'm looking at the pink machine and then over to my little white featherweight... the wheels are turning!

Of course, there is one of these to make too!

Now for the self-care list...

1. Start packing lunches for work. Not everyday... but a few times a week.

2. Put recipes IN recipe box. I got a new recipe box for Christmas from the hubs... and, well, you know!

I saw the idea on the Farm Chicks blog. And yes, I found that exact box...

but mine is red. (Jill got this color).

3. I also thought that I should start reading again. Exercise my mind a bit. There were a couple of great blog posts, one on Sister's Choice and the other at Pleasant Home about summer reading. I made a hugs list... that will take me well into next summer but to start with I have Wicked still waiting for me. So that is first.

I was thinking about The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews. Has anybody read that one?

The Summer That Flew By

One of the great things about having company is being able to become the tourist yourself!

I love to show people around our area... and parts of California, nearby.

In the middle of all the wedding commotion we made plans to

take our visiting East Coast family to...

Yosemite.  Inspiration Point.

Yosemite Falls.

The Ahwahnee Hotel.

After the wedding we went towards the coast.

One favorite stop is Casa De Fruita.

Then on to Monterey.

We have the keys to a wonderful little home in Pacific Grove so we stayed overnight and

went into Carmel the next day after a little bit of kayaking.

'

Then back home...

to spend  day at the lake with the family.

But the fun keeps on coming...

last weekend we had more family come (my side)...

Thursday another round of family will be on the way(hubs side)...

and then a family BBQ is planned the week after that(extended family).

Now somewhere in there I am going to figure out how to fit some sewing time in.

After all... we have Schnibbles to do AND I have to get my list in order for the July- August

Charming Guys/Girls Club!

More on that tomorrow!