Sew and Tell Friday

Terry and I are heading to Paducah next week to the American Quilter's Society Quilt Show.  We feel very fortunate that we live close by, especially when we talk to people who have traveled across the world to get there.  Personally, I can't imagine doing that, but maybe that's because I live two hours away.  I'm spoiled, I guess.

We're leaving Wednesday morning and picking up friends along the way. 

This is Terry's purple car.  Isn't it adorable?!!

Our friend, Julie, has a sister-in-law that has a mansion in Paducah so that's where we'll be sleeping.  There won't be much hanging out there, because we'll be too busy shopping and eating at some of Padcuah's fun restaurants down town.  We may even shop at a few of the antique stores, too.

Speaking of downtown...our friend, Betty Cummings from The Village Mercantile, will have a store front shop downtown, as well.

 I just clicked on her website to see where she was going to be, and she has a 10 percent off coupon for everyone who shops at her "store" in Paducah.  Click here to get your coupon, too!
It will be great to see her and her husband, Steve.  I love them both! 

I'm sure I'll see Eleanor Burns, from Quilt in a Day. 

I owe this quilting obsession to her, and that's a good thing.  Her shows are fun and the fabric deals are fantastic. 

I hope to see, too, my  quilting/blogging/facebook friend Tammy Tadd.  (Please go visit her.  She has fantastic news.)

Every time I see her I want to say, "Woo Hoo"!!  Her shop is always bright and cheerful.  I love her pink and green. 

Of course it wouldn't be Paducah without visiting Hancocks of Paducah.  It's fabric as far as you can see, and then some.

I think we should have started saving money ever since last year!  It's a good thing we're getting a refund on our taxes! 

See that cute bag Terry is wearing?  Every year Terry and I make a new bag for our Paducah trip. 

This is what we made for this year's trip:

Her's is the green polka dot, and mine is the one that says "Authentic".  The pattern is by Sweetwater and it is their Market Bag.  It was easy to make.  This is the only thing I sewed on this week, so it's my finish for Sew and Tell Friday. 

Do you remember how I told you that Terry was getting trading up for a newer long arm quilting machine because we both thought she may have worn the other one out? 

Well, she did!  It's official!!

At one point the two machines were next to each other.  I heard the old one was telling the new one how sweet Terry is, and what a good home and loving family she has, but that was while Terry was standing there.

When she walked away  I heard the old one whisper to the new one, "Good luck!  You'll need it!"

Be sure to stop by Amy's to see another week of Friday finishes for Sew and Tell Friday. 

I almost forgot...It's Heidi's Friday Night Sew In!  I better get busy and finish cleaning my house so I can sew tonight!!!! 

Happy Last Day of March

It's hard to believe it's the last day of March!  It was a busy month, for sure. 

Every Saturday this month, (except for one.  I went to Louisville on a business trip.  That sounds so odd!) I helped Terry and Rita with their beginner quilting classes. 

Here is Terry (in the green)  teaching this lady how to cut. 

Now, here's the part where I tell you that our daughter, Julia, got her drivers license this month, and we bought her sister's old car for her to drive.  She's excited, but I'm not.  I never see her!  She works, goes to school, and  hides the camera cord to my other camera so I can't find it.   (Oops!  I wasn't supposed to tell you about the camera cord, but if you have teenagers you know what I'm talking about!)   I'm not really sure if she would know where it is even if she were here right now.  So, for right now, my pictures of the beginner quilt classes, Julia with her license, and my business trip  are stuck in my  other camera. 

Terry says that she isn't a teacher for a beginners.  I think what she means is that it's hard to un-teach a person once they have been taught the wrong way to cut, sew, and press.  I guess you could say that she likes to start them young.

Okay, maybe not that young, but isn't this a sweet picture of her with her youngest grand-daughter?  All of the girls in Terry's family (and me!) went to her daughter's lakehouse to sew for the weekend of Terry's birthday.  All 19 of us left with a Turning Twenty quilt top completed, even the baby.   Now if we could just get them to touch their machines before we go again next year! 

I didn't get a chance to quilt on anything this month.  I have done some sewing, but not much of anything quilt like, unless you consider using batting instead of interfacing for a bag that I made. 

I guess I quilted it when I sewed down the ric-rac along the seam lines.  It's my one finish this month for the One Project a Month challenge.  I was really hoping to get my Bulls Eye quilt completed (my one goal for the Charming Girls and Guys quilt club), but maybe next month. 

I can't leave without showing you what Steve made.  I love it that he is a woodworker because he understands my need for good materials, good tools, and lots of fun gadgets that make life easier.  He built this cabinet for Terry.

Terry likes primitive, so the more beat up it looks the better.  It was hard for Steve to bash it with a hammer and sand paint off of the corners.  I told him he should beat it with a chain and he just looked at me funny.  I guess he hasn't watched the same shows that I have watched on HGTV.  Now that I think about it, it would look odd to see Norm Abrams beat a piece of furniture on PBS.

Take care! 

Amanda

PS

I have added this post to the Sew and Tell Friday group over at Amy's.  It's always fun to see what everyone else has sewn for the week.   I just added this to Vanessa's blog, too!  It's her first "link up".  It's so fun to see what everyone is creating! 

Sew and Tell Friday

It's time for another Sew and Tell Friday.  I am excited to say that my finish for this week is...

(drumroll please)

 TA-DA

 

My Valentine quilt

that I have talked about for the past 2 weeks that you're probably sick of seeing.

The little last minute changes I made before I gave it to Terry to be quilted is that I added two more rows

of ric-rac.  It just sort of evened things out and made the quilt not look quite so bottom heavy.  If it were only that easy in real life to make my body not look so bottom heavy. I could wrap ric rac around my head to distract from the bottom half.  Hey, that may not be a bad idea!     I digress.

Terry did a beautiful job quilitng it, as always.  There are feathers, swirls, and who know what else that she free hands.  Each little section is a different quilting design.  And I love that she changes thread colors.  Gone are the days of white thread all over my quilts (thanks to Judy and Terry).

 

It's all ready to be snuggled up by the kids.  It looks sweet in it's wooden quilt holder.  

I was trying to figure out what to name the quilt.  I thought about Love Notes, but then I thought about

"Text Messages"  since that's the reason for the "love u!".  What do you think?

Be sure to check out Amy's blog to see what everyone else has finished this week for "Sew and Tell Friday".  I'm always amazed at how much people get finished.  To be honest, I really should start something called

"Say It Ain't Sewn Wednesday".  I would have something every week to show for sure!  

I'll be back this weekend with my "hope I get them finished this month" projects for the Charming Girls' Quilt Club. 

I'm late to Camp Sloanie.  I could say that the 1-2feet (can you imagine!?) of snow that Pat is getting is the reason, but  

she will blow the whistle at me on that one!  

Have a great weekend, everyone.  Go Saints!! or as us Louisianian's would write Geaux Saints! 

Amanda

Valentine Sewing Party II

Even though I didn't get to sew as much for Kelly's Valentine Sewing Party as I would have liked to, I did, however, manage to get one finished!  Woo Hoo!

I stayed up unitl 2:30 this morning sewing the peiced borders on the Valentine quilt I started last weekend.

 

This quilt is so easy and perfect for using holiday fabrics that you don't want to cut up into tiny little pieces.  It's a lap sized quilt which will be perfect for cuddling on the couch watching chick-flicks. 

 After I looked at it for a while I decided it needed something a little fun added to it.  Last week Natalia posted a quilt in the Moda Bakeshop, which I l.o.v.e.d!!!  So, I decided to tweek this quilt a little and do this:

It's amazing what a little ric-rac and some fun lettering will do to add some pizzazz. 

My kids will probably be the ones to use this the most.  And, since I'm getting really good at texting both of them  these days,  I thought I would applique them the perfect message:  Love U! (or is it supposed to be Luv U ?)

Thanks, Kelly, and the rest of the girls,  for a fun weekend of Valentine sewing. 

Amanda

Edited:  I have linked this post to Amy's "Sew and Tell" Friday link on her blog amylouwho.com.  You can go there, too, and see what everyone else has sewn this week!

Sew and Tell Friday

So, have you had a chance to make the pumpkin gob cookies    yet? (Click on the link for the recipe!)  I made a batch for our company that was visiting.  They look so pretty on my pumpkin platter (that I found at Walmart for $4.50) on top of my new table runner for my kitchen table.

                                                  

I found these leaf place mats on sale at Walmart, too, for $2 each.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them, but I bought them anyway.  Then I thought about how cute my leaf tablerunner that I bought from K-mart looked on my dining room table, and I got busy!  First, I laid out my leaves (I really like them kind of turned a little.  It makes it look like they fell off the tree and landed on my table.)  on the table until I arranged them how I wanted them.  Then I pinned them together and took them to the sewing machine where I tacked them down.  Easy Peasy!!!  See those gourds in my little basket?  I found those for a penny a piece!!!  Yes 1 penny!  Here's a few more that I gave to my daughter for her to decorate with in her home.

                                          

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Are you enjoying the Cross Country Quilt Designer Blog Hop?  I am.  It has gotten me in the Christmas Spirit like you wouldn't believe. The projects are wonderful, and the stories that each of them share every day brings back memories of my childhood I had forgotten about.   

It's perfect timing, the blog hop and the fact that Kim has a Christmas Countdown on her blog.  Who knew it was a little more than 40 days away until Christmas???  I sure didn't!  Oh well.  Tomorrow Terry and I are leaving for our annual Christmas Sewing Retreat.  This year we're going back to the Lakehouse.  Hopefully I will have lots of "Sew and Tell " Friday projects for you to see next Friday.  (Be sure to check at Amy's blog to see what everyone else finished for Friday.)

Until then, keep visiting the designers on the blog hop.  I have a list of them on my sidebar, so you can click on their link and it will take you to their blog.  I'll be blog hopping from my I-phone. 

Have a great week!

Amanda

Sew and Tell Friday

This week for Sew and Tell Friday I was able to finish a cute little banner to add to my Halloween decorations.

Vanessa has the tutorial on her blog. I cut 6 1/2" squares from my Halloween scraps and fused the word "boo" on three of the little triangles.

I think it looks so cute draped across my Hoosier cabinet. It looks as though she has on a necklace.

You can see more Sew and Tell Friday finishes at Amy (Amy Lou Who) and Amy's (Park City Girl) blogs.

While you're at Amy's (Park City Girl), be sure to read all about the Bloggers Quilt Festival starting October 9. I have two fall quilts ready to display, and I can't wait to show you. The more quilts the merrier so be sure to join in on the fun, too!

It's starting to feel like Fall here in Kentucky. I love it!

Have a great weekend!

Amanda