My Blog may change soon

I am having a terrible time trying to get emails from those who view my blog. I attempted to sign into a bloghop and keep being told I am 'not allowed'...isn't that a tad rude?  hahaha.  What happened is that I have 2 email addresses associated with the blog- operator errors happen to me frequently- so I have no one to blame but myself. So I need to either get this blog compelety cleaned up or I guess I will close it down and start over again. Brilliant folks who are blog savvy are welcome to assist, should you have time or energy.
So here is the test.  If you read this blog, would you reply to me (not in the comment section) see if you can find an email address and reply to me thru the blog.  Thanks and have a great day.

Don't know why this won't stay in upright position, it is correct on the original photo.

AnDe's creation of the 'Proud Mama' now available on fabric

I am off to the shower, get ready for a day at the quilt shop, and then home again. What a great retirement life.

Beautiful Batiks

I finally finished this year long king size quilt project. I love the colors, and I love the design. My friend Barbara and I took the class from my local quilt shop (where I also work part-time). The class was taught by Jean Hoagland, and it was a pattern from Wing and a Prayer Designs entitled Tonga Nature. I used Tonga Batiks. This is a large kingsize quilt which measures 96"x 106". Once I had the top pieced (which I might add is what took the whole year to do) I took it to Nina Keck who did her magic and professionally longarm quilted it. 

center block

It would look great on my bed, but I have already designated its home. I do hope to enter it into a quilt show or two before it goes away forever though. so I am in hopes that the recipient will be patient and let me keep it for just awhile longer.


I do so enjoy reading comments about my work, so feel free to leave one and please follow my blog ( there is a little button on this page that you can click on to automatically add you to my followers list)  so don't be shy.

Please help find my sewing area

It seems that my area has gotten out of control.  Sound familiar?  Does this mean I am a true quilter/sewing maniac?  I have sew many projects that I want to do, and sew many that I have to do, and sew many that are calling my name... how does a person make a decision as to which one gets completed first?  Hmmmmm what a dilemma... any suggestions and or help will be welcomed.  I have great storage cabinets. I have a specific area that I use for my sewing area, and I have a very nice husband that puts up with the ironing board (which often is left on his side of the bedroom).

I have a place for both of my machines to sit sew that I can use them each at one time (one will be embroidering while the other is sewing). I have sufficient drawers to store thread, notions, fabric etc.  A design wall that holds ALL of my WORKS in progress and/or wantabe projects....mind you not all my wantabe's are hanging or you would never find ME let alone the design wall.   

All in all I guess I am lucky to have all of these wonderful areas of work and gadgets and tools, but just someone come and dig me out sometime, if you haven't seen me or heard from in a couple of days, ok?  Thanks in advance  and now take a picture of the room and the sewing creations that will be, are being made, or want to be finished and have an absolutely FABULOUS  SEWING SUNDAY.

Star Light-Star Bright

I finished a small child's quilt...more like a warm wrap for a baby.  The top is pieced in several star blocks that were designed by Jean Biddick.  I took a "Picky Piecing' class from her and I really learned alot from the techniques that she uses.  My points are as close to perfect as I can get them.  I also learned setting into the 'y' section...a challenge!

One thing that has always made life hard is when the star points all converge in the middle and you get a bit of a pucker.... well in each star formation there is not a 'pucker' YEA!!! 

I went through my stash of fabrics to make this quilt and was happy to even have some materials left over.  The finished size of the quilt is 38"x38".

The quilting was done in the embroidery hoop. I chose a star motif and with the use of the embroidery machine and hoop it was a perfect fit.  Bill had a new grand neice recently born and a nephew's wife is due in Novemeber so I suspect one of them will be the recipient of this quilt. Perfect for our Arizona temperatures- we don't get too cold.

Mom's birthday

It has been a great week, I worked in a happy and friendly environment, with no drama. I was able to sew at home and get some projects completed,  as well as going on errands and dining with my Mom. Yesterday Bill and I took her to El Charro restaurant for her Birthday dinner....88yrs old. She is feeling good and for the most part tolerating her aging years well.
I have been planning and working on a quilt for her for the last 6months. This quilt was a Kit fabric and pattern are Bernatex. the designs on the quilt are embroidered and was quilt-embroidered in the hoop as well. It measures 64x64".
Bill took the picture with me trying to hold it up in the air, and so it isn't hanging so straight, nor is there a close up of the embroidery, however, I will get a photo as it lays on her bed.

Happy Birthday MOM.

Some new projects

Hi,

I recently attended Bernina University in San Antonio Texas; with shop owner- Nina Keck, and co-workers Marsha Barnes and Jean Hoagland.  We had a ball...but not only that we were smothered in projects to do and lessons to learn.... makes you realize how overwhelmed some of your students might feel when sitting down to a new task.  So I am taking note of that and preparing my classes a bit differently from here on.


Jean, Marsha, Nina and Me




Me, Jean & Marsha at The Alamo




Our name badges



new embroidery design



Bag front



Bag back

Half of me (I guess) on the River Walk cruise

These are a few photos from the trip and the projects that I have done, there are more, but the final touches are not done so I am not showing them yet.  You will have to wait for a part two of this blogging moment.

Mystery Quilt

What is a Mystery Quilt you ask?  I did too.  I never understood how the term Mystery could be related to a quilt, but I found out.  I took a class at the Quilter's Market quilt shop in Tucson last month. They were held on 2 consecutive Friday nights.

close up view of one block

So when I signed up for the quilt class, I asked for the supply list.  The 1st clue was the only thing listed, I was direceted to  chose yardage for the dark, medium and light fabrics. Ok, so 3 fabrics are chosen out of my stash.  Luckily I had enough yardage of a dark purple tone on tone print, orange/yellow batik print for medium, and an offwhite tone on tone fabric.  I think this was the hardest part of the task, as I had no final product to look at and was unsure how the pieces would be put together, so as the clues progressed during the class time, we could see the progress.  A lot of piecing and strip sewing.  A lot, and I mean a lot of ripping out seams, since I managed to sew a whole section of the quilt the wrong direction.  Well yesterday,  I finally got the top pieced completely together,  I am thinking of adding the 'optional' border so that it will be a larger quilt. 

By the way, if you want to make a Mystery Quilt join me next May for an Alaskan cruise with the Mystery Quilt teachers Jean Biddick and Jo Cady-Bull on our Quilt Retreat at Sea Mystery Cruise  Pass the link on http://www.quiltretreatatsea.com/ and come on aboard.