Saturday Shopping After Black Friday

I hit Joann’s again this morning.  It was no big deal to get in today.  There was a line, but I was #6.  I picked up batting, the fat quarters and the interfacing that I wanted.  Now I don’t know what to do with the fat quarters (there are 24 of them).  I didn’t even need the fat quarters, but I couldn’t resist how cute-ly they were packaged–in a little basket with a big green ribbon tied on it.  I think I just need to add some solid cream-colored Kona cotton and that may help me figure out a good pattern to use.

Happy Black Friday!

This morning, I braved Black Friday crowds and went shopping at Joann’s.  This was my first time ever attempting the sales.  I got there at 5:50, and the line was wrapped around the side of the store!  Most people already had their carts, but I didn’t realize that until I was already at the back of the line, and I didn’t want to lose my place to go get one.  I didn’t want anything big anyway so I stopped by the front door and grabbed a hand basket (and almost got trampled in the process because the lady with a cart behind me almost ran over me!).

I totally didn’t need one, but I bought a Gingher 45mm rotary cutter for $29.99 (it was one of the doorbusters for today–regularly $74.99).  It feels sooooo nice in my hand.  It’s a light-weight metal.  I can’t wait to use it.  I also bought some 50% off sewing machine needles and a 50% off 12×12 rotating self-healing mat.  I was happy to get that little jewel since I’ve had my eye on one of those for quite awhile.

While I was there, I also picked up my mother’s birthday present, but I can’t write what it is because she’ll read this.  I’m happy that it was also 50% off!

Fortunately for me, everybody else was making a mad dash for the $1.49 flannel, and they had to stand in line to have it cut.  When I was ready to go, I didn’t even have to wait in line to check out.  I was home by 6:20!  Not bad at all.

The bad news is that I have to go back tomorrow because they’re having DIFFERENT doorbusters tomorrow.  I want a set of Legacy Studio fat quarters for $34.99 and a couple of bolts of interfacing for my purses.  The interfacing is a steal at $2.99 for a 10-yard bolt!

Long Arm Lesson

I’m so excited!  I signed up for a long arm lesson at Quiltmania.  It isn’t until the middle of December, but that’s okay!  I seriously figured the lesson would be $50-$100.  Well, guess what!?  It’s $15 for the 2-hour lesson, and then $15/hour after that!  I can’t believe it.

Craftster Block Swap

The ladies (and one gentleman) on Craftster.org are having another block swap.  I DIDN’T join in this time for a couple of reasons: 

1.  I wasn’t really impressed with the quality of workmanship on a couple of the blocks I received.  I KNOW I shouldn’t get upset because all skill levels were represented, however, a well-made nine-patch block is better than a crappy more difficult block any day! 

And 2.  There are only so many sampler quilts made by other people that I really want.  I’ve already got the City Girl quilt from the first Craftster swap I participated in, and now I’m in the SewConnected quilt swap, too.  I’d rather work on my own “unified” quilts (that are in the right size block that I need!) than have any more sampler quilts (at least for now).

Quilt Backings

I’ve been busy making quilt backings for the Eco Breeze and Hancock’s Remnants quilts.  Both of them were randomly pieced together, though the Eco Breeze quilt was a controlled piecing.  The Hancock’s quilt was truly random because I just threw the fabric on the floor and tried to get it to align.

I’m especially aggravated with the Eco Breeze backing because I bought 3 yards of fabric.  However, after getting it home, instead of 108″ of fabric, the lady only cut me 104″!  I needed 105″ to make a perfect in-the-middle seam so I had to do some maneuvering to get it to work.  The top section is two pieces and the bottom section is three pieces, and I added the leftover fabric from the front as a middle section just for the heck of it.

I’m a little concerned because I also bought 3 yards of backing fabric for the Urban Windowpanes quilt.  I bought it on a different day, but the same lady cut it for me.  I hope she didn’t screw me out of 4″ of fabric on that one, too!

Anyway, I’m pleased with the backing for the Hancock’s Remnants quilt.  That fabric is so wild, I never would have used the leftovers for anything else.  All I have left of it is very tiny scraps so this was the perfect way to use up the leftovers.

Another drizzly, depressing day…

This is week 2 of drizzly, depressing, gray weather.  Ugh!  I have stuff I need to be doing, but the cat is curled up in my lap, and he feels so nice and warm that I don’t want to get up and do anything!

The wind is REALLY blowing, too.  It blew over the mums out front.  I put them in the garage for now.  It also blew out one of our vent cover thingies.  Iggy Pop about had a conniption fit when she saw it out in the yard.

Hancock’s Remnants Quilt

Here’s the Hancock’s Remnants Quilt I’ve been working on.  The pattern is from the book, Modern Art with Fabric.  I like the pattern, but not the fabric that I used for this quilt.  Actually, not all of the fabric is bad, it’s just one of the Amy Butler fabrics that I don’t like.

Most of the fabric for this quilt came from the remnant table at Hancock’s of Paducah.  It’s a mix of Joel Dewberry, Kaffee Fassett, Robert Kauffman, Moda and Lindquist.  The two Amy Butler fabrics I bought yardage of, and I wish I’d bought something a little “wilder” instead.

45° blocks!

I’m very pleased with myself!  I have never attempted to make blocks that had pieces that are cut at 45° angles because I’m just not good with my rulers.  So… I figured out how to make those cuts by drawing out the pieces in Corel Draw and then laser-cutting the fabric with perfect 45° angles!  Whooppee!!!  That opens up a whole new world of blocks to me! 

Below are the first two blocks I made.  The first is called an “X Stripe Variation” and the other is called “Twin Sisters.”  Both are from EQ6 and both look impossibly easy, but I really like how they turned out.

SewConnected Block Swap

I’m in another quilt block swap.  This time, the group is called SewConnected, and it’s being organized by John (aka Quilt Dad).  There are 15 of us in the group, and he assigned us each a month.  We have to send out our fabric two weeks before our month, then everybody makes a block of their choice with our fabrics and returns the block to us.  I’m Miss November.  My fabrics are a mix of Surf and Sand, an orange Tracy Porter and a brown damask I found at Joann’s. 

We’re allowed to choose the size block we’d like to receive, and I specifically wrote that I want ”a 12″ finished/12.5″ unfinished block.”  However, I’ve already gotten one back that’s an unfinished 12″!  I’ll just have to add a skimpy 1/4″ border to make it usable, doggone it!

I’ve decided to make a 7 x 7 grid, and put the 15 blocks from my swap partners in the center and make extra blocks to go around the edges (I’ll need 33 or 34 extras).  That way, this quilt will be a usable/large size.

These are the blocks I’ve made for myself so far (except for one, and I couldn’t get it to upload for some reason):

Urban Windowpanes Quilt

On Wednesday, I stopped by Joann’s for a package of rhinestones for the card party this weekend, and ended up walking out with a Quilts with Style/Quick Quilts “Urban Classic Windowpanes” quilt kit.  I loved the fabrics and couldn’t pass it up.

I cut out the pieces on Wednesday night and then spent 2-1/2 hours yesterday morning sewing it together.  It’s a very, very simple quilt, but I really like it, and I’m going to use it for the longarm class I want to take.