One of the reasons this was such a good day was that Catherine brought my Colonial Piecemaker’s Challenge Quilt in with the binding finished!!!!  I was expecting to sew the binding on as one of my projects and while we had breakfast together I was lamenting that I had neglected to pack the correct color of thread.  Catherine never let on that I wouldn’t NEED the thread!  You can’t imagine how happy I was – and Catherine even added a little embellished bow train with the excess binding.  I just love those extra touches that only the queen of embellishment can create.

Actually Saturday was a little bit like Christmas because Catherine brought me cat fabric from the Colonial Williamsburg white elephant table and the ATCs from July that I missed while I was in Missouri……and there was even some of my FAVORITE HOT TAMALES GUM IN THE BAG!

It was a happy day for sure AND I AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT I FINISHED BINDING ONE QUILT AND ALMOST FINISHED A SECOND ONE!  The day was perfect – except we REALLY DID miss those who weren’t with us!

I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Saturday was jam packed full of fun and frivolity……and several new things.

First we had a SCAVENGER HUNT……first clue – find breakfast.  NO, not at SUBWAY – even though we were there 10 minutes after they were SUPPOSED TO OPEN……so we did NOT build a better breakfast….

Stop two – not going to have breakfast here either…..not mentioning any names but the place that we did not have breakfast at  is NEXT DOOR to SUBWAY!  They were not necessarily SUPPOSED to be open – we were just hoping….

Have you heard the expression, third time’s the charm?  WELL the third place we went was a winner and a WONDERFUL winner at that.  Catherine and I had a quiche at Panera Bread…..Catherine had Spinach and Bacon and I had Spinach and Artichoke.  OH…..it was wonderful.  THAT WAS A FIRST FOR ME – I have never eaten breakfast at Panera Bread.  They have great unsweetened ice tea as well!  I put TABSCO and PEPPER on mine – heavenly.

Not only did I get to enjoy breakfast, but I also got to admire Catherine’s jewelry.  ADVANCED JEWELRY MAKING 501….maybe I will get there!

Then we went to the VA SCRAPPERS monthly meeting and it was so nice.  There were LOTS of folks there Saturday – many were quilters we hadn’t seen for awhile so it was very special (missed you, Sheddy!)  I didn’t take pictures this time – I thought it might be nice if I let my quilting friends work in peace without the camera flash interrupting the tranquilty.  There was a whole lof of creativity going on though and I was inspired.

I was VERY HAPPY to finish the binding on  my Carolina Christmas Poinsettia Quilt.  This is Bonnie Hunter’s CAROLINA CHRISTMAS QUILT – but with only the Poinsettia  Block.  I really DID ENJOY putting the binding on.    I enjoyed having it OUT of my binding chair and crossed off my LIST too.  (There will not be a picture of my binding chair because the stack is embarrassing – but, I will take a picture of an EMPTY chair…..soon.)

 

 

 

 

And just FYI here is the other block that was a part of Bonnie Hunter’s Carolina Christmas Quilt – The Carolina Christmas Star Block.  I decided that I would rather have two smaller quilts than one very large one.  SO NOW THEY ARE BOTH FINISHED!

Carolina Christmas Star

 

 

 

Back of Carolina Christmas Star

I just LOVE Bonnie Hunter’s mysteries and I heard a rumor that she plans to have another one in November!  I will be there waiting – I haven’t missed a Bonnie Hunter mystery yet.  If you haven’t made one go look at Bonnie’s website at www.quiltville.com! 

 After the Scrapper’s Event we dashed over to vote – there was a Quilter’s Quilt Challenge at Quilting Adventures.  The quilters were challenged to make a quilt to signify what the Quilt Shop had meant to the individual Quilter…..here is Catherine’s.  (If you want to vote, you need to do it in person….one vote per person per day.)  Catherine featured the classes that she took from the three quilt artists that transformed her way of approaching her artistry.

 

Catherine’s CHALLENGE QUILT

 

Then – before the clock struck midnight and our chariot turned back into a pumpkin, we dashed to BANGLES AND BEADS….or was it BEADS AND BANGLES in Cary Town.  I had never been there before.  It is amazing.  THE BEADS, THE COLORS, THE POSSIBILITIES!  It is a place that I will want to revisit – over and over.

This really was a wonderful bead store.

First we had a SEW AND TELL bag event…….we wrapped and glued fabric around cording and then sewed the cord into the shape of a bag- all by hand.   This is reminiscent of the way baskets were woven by the Native Americans.   I really love the outcome!  We had started our bags on an earlier SEW SEW DAY and today we were just sharing the final outcome.  I worked on mine for parts of four or five days!

Catherine has a wonderful sense of color choices

I really love how Catherine incorporated a long shoulder strap from the continuous strip of wrapped cording…..  Her entire bag is made from one long piece of cloth covered cording.

Love the dimensional side treatment

 Catherine has a reputation for being the Queen of mixed media embellishment.  I marvel at how she can put all of these fibers and beading into the mix with just the perfect blend of colors.  All of Catherine’s fabrics are batiks – good for this project because there is not a lot of fraying  of the raw edges of the cut fabric.

Not finished yet - more fibers and beading is in the plan

Special Beading Effects

Catherine designed the special stitch for the bag too – it looks like basket weaving.  I like this so much better than the zig zag stitches by sewing machine that I have seen used in the past!

And now for my bag….  

sao's little bag

My bag  is shorter than Catherine’s for two reasons.  First, into DAY 5 of this project, I suddenly got inspired to use the purse handles that I found at the Lancaster Quilt Show…..and so I needed a shorter bag for the proportion between the bag and the handles to look right. 

The Second reason that my bag is small is because I also had VERY SORE FINGERS from doing the hand sewing and pushing the needle through the cording….LOL.  I had also stuck myself (with the VERY LARGE needle) on multiple occasions, so a smaller bag was really something that I was motivated to go for!

I got the bright idea to EMBELLISH my bag with a pin that I got when we went to see the musical WICKED!    I used a pony tail elastic as the closure to hook around a big black button that I found in my collection of buttons.  This entire bag was made from stash items – no new purchases!

It seems like every bag that I have is black or red….HM….for me, guess it doesn’t take a lot of talent to choose the right fabric! 

As a matter of fact I used fabric that I had purchased but didn’t use  when I made a quilted tote bag  at a class  that I took  at Quilter’s Corner  three years ago!!!  Christine, does this look familiar?!!!  Goodness, maybe I need to branch out a bit…..but then maybe not….all of my clothes are black! 

Sao's Quilted Tote Bag 2007

OK – to redeem myself – here is another SEW AND TELL – my progress on a Mystery Quilt led by Karen from Powhatan Quilters….it isn’t finished but the center part is together…..PINWHEELS AND POSIES……and I did use some of my 30’s Fabrics that I have been collecting.  I don’t know WHY but I have been saving it!!!  Do any of the rest of you buy fabric and then just LOOK at it and not want to USE IT!!!

Hannah the Cat on PINWHEELS AND POSIES

After a wonderful lunch break – that included a TROPICAL SMOOTHIE for inspiration and a trip to Jo Ann’s to buy a couple of jewelry pliers…..we headed back to our SEW SEW activities.

Today we had a class in Jewelry Making 101….Catherine was the teacher and I was the student.  Catherine ended up doing most (ALL) of the work after she watched me string the same bead on upside down about four times in a row!!!  But I am now armed with the right pliers and some beading springs (not the correct term but it keeps all of your beading work from sliding off the wires before they are secured!) and I am looking forward to my future fun making jewelry.

I always feel so KLUTSY when I am trying to learn to do something new – and when the EXPERT is watching you and you just KNOW that deep inside they must be struggling to stifle a laugh – or two.

OK – so after LISTENING to SIL Greg repair the hole in the laundry room wall that he made while investigating a leak…..we made some progress…..that WE is figuratively speaking……Catherine is doing the work.  I am doing the observation.

OOPS - the washing machine made a mess!

Here is what I am proud to say is the product of Catherine’s jewelry making expertise…..and I was once again impressed with how she can look at a conglomeration of beads and know just how to arrange them into a work of art!  My mother would have been proud to see how some of her jewelry supplies were put to good use.  Catherine used round pliers to show me how to take a jewelry pin and twist it (form it) into a ring which attaches to a jumper cable ring and then to a clasp.  I think that I need to pay more attention to some of the terminology because it all doesn’t sound quite right to me as I write this.

Earrings, Bracelet, and Three Necklaces

 It really was a wonderful day and I feel more like myself than I have in a long time.  I really enjoy learning new things and it is inspirational to watch Catherine apply her magic touch to whatever project that she is working on.

And now I am going to go work on Clues 2 and 3 of Bonnie Hunter’s FIRST MYSTERY QUILT – Carolina Crossroads.  Yes I am making my SECOND ONE….just started it with some friends on the QUILTVILLE CHAT group!  I am naming this one CAROLINA CROSSROADS TOO! 

As always Catherine had creative SEW and TELLS….her sewing kit is amazing and you wouldn’t BELIEVE how many things Catherine has in this small case – EVERYTHING YOU COULD POSSIBLY NEED TO MAKE ANYTHING!

Catherine's Embellished Sewing Kit

AND…..TA DA…..this is Catherine’s PORTFOLIO TOTE……a stiff carrier with internal elastic straps to hold very special works of art……stay tuned….

Portfolio Tote

 Catherine finished her Challenge Quilt for WHAT QUILTING ADVENTURE HAS MEANT TO ME…..it is beyond words……the work that went into this embellishment is unbelievable.   Catherine not only DESIGNED the gate piece by piece, but she also printed it…..I could go on and on.  The gate opens…..look at the four layers of fusing that went into the super-imposed figures…..       I think this is surely going to be a winner.   The three artists featured in this mini quilt were folks that taught classes at QA and they have inspired and enriched Catherine’s creativity. 

Catherine's Challenge Quilt

 Catherine and I both worked on our TOTE BAGS that we are making by wrapping fabric around cording and then sewing it into a braided wonder!!  You may note that OREO THE CAT is snoozing nearby.  I don’t think that cat got very far from Catherine all day!  She CLAIMED Catherine’s tote bag as her own special napping mat.

Bag Weaving

 OH MY – Oreo loves Catherine….it is a wonder Catherine could get anything done with all of the adoration going on!  And we even took our CREATIVE ENDEAVORS upstairs to get away from Ruby – the dog – who also loves Catherine!!!

Oreo is in love

 And speaking of major distractions – Grandangel Cooper came in to introduce Catherine to the world of BAKUGAN and believe you me, it is not easy to understand.  Catherine and I were wondering where we could snatch a calculator to keep up with Cooper’s addition of his power, energy and SUPER Gs that went into winning.   I mean just keeping straight who has gear and who doesn’t is a major feat….     (Note how beautiful Catherine’s Tote Bag is – lying untouched in the foreground  in the picture below – Catherine only has so many hands you know!)

Cooper and Catherine play BAKUGAN

Catherine Won

 After Cooper left the room, Catherine assured me that she had won the battle……I have my doubts……you should have seen Catherine’s eyes glassing over as Cooper explained the RULES to her!

It felt good to be a little creative today – it had been a whole month since I have had any creative juices flowing.  Who knows,  I might even do a bit of quilting tonight. 

OK – first we had an ATC REVIEW – LOVE THESE – thanks everyone from the Quilting Adventures ATC group!  The ATCs this month are so amazing.  I am awed by the talent that abounds in this group.

Then I made my FIRST NECKLACE with actual knotting between beads.  WOW.  That was just lots and lots of fun and my grandangel, Sarah, liked it so much that she wanted it!!!  Catherine made one too – so now we have twin necklaces.  I can’t wait to do more.  I think I have been bitten by the jewelry making bug.  It is also fun to be able to finish something that you begin and ON THE SAME DAY!

And if that were not enough fun *although can anyone ever have TOO MUCH FUN* Catherine is teaching me how to make a tote by wrapping fabric around cord…..pictures of that will be coming soon.

ENJOY THE PICTURES and THANKS CATHERINE for the private lessons!  whoo hoooo!

I am babysitting four cats and one dog over Spring Break and I have to tell you that they are having lots of fun helping me sew!  We are having lovely summer weather here in Midlothian and have even set some heat records for April!  It is so much fun to hear the birds singing and to see the trees and flowers blooming.

Catherine came to sew with me two days over Spring Break.  We got lots done too..even though Ruby fell in love with Catherine and would barely give her a moment’s peace….  Catherine completed the top of her Animals on Parade Quilt for the ICU project with Country Piecemakers and she had fun doing other projects as well!

We even managed a little side trip to the Goodwill to hunt for wool to felt (no luck) and we had lots of fun searching for house embellishments at BIG LOTS (a new adventure for me – whatta place!)

I got out the quilt that I pieced when I was 5 (my before going to school project!)  My Grandma Albertson cut all of the blocks and pieced the top together, but I sewed all of the 9 patches together by hand – and she INSISTED that I use a thimble too.  To this day I can’t sew without that thimble!  I don’t think I have ever photographed this quilt before. 

I also got out the wedding quilt that my Grandma Reiter made for me – a log cabin made out of satin (that I accidentally found out that my DH, Max had used for a picnic in the park one day while  I was a work!!!!)

I spent one day cutting 1,250 1 1/2″ squares for a Postage Stamp Quilt swap – this should be lots of fun – Subee (in Indiana) is hosting it!  I have visions of tiny little quilt pieces floating in my head as we speak!

I am VERY HAPPY   that I got TWO QUILTS BOUND and have started on another.  WHOO HOO!

Here is a peak at all of the fun.

Check out the pictures of the new VICTORY QUILT FABRICS now at Quilter’s Corner in Midlothian (the Eleanor Burns Victory Quilt book is there too!)  Susan had made a few VICTORY QUILT blocks and they are so cute.    The Embroidery Club is also producing some wonderful things…..I especially love the VINTAGE REDWORK.  (You can check out the time and date for the Embroidery Club on the Quilter’s Corner website calendar!)

Also, be sure to notice Jackie weaving her rug.  Her husband made the weaving frame and it is beyond belief…..really, it is a great piece of furniture/work of art.  The wood, the hardware – the whole thing is wonderful and I wish that he were making them to sell.  In the meantime Jackie is enjoying her one-of-a-kind rug frame!

THANK YOU CHRISTY for having us and we missed you and Mr. T a lot!  We missed Karen and her nightly popcorn treats too.  No one makes popcorn like Karen!

AND…..in case my fellow quilt camp quilters are curious – I FOUND MY CAMERA…..someone buried it in the bottom of my 1 1/2″ strip basket…..boy, I sure have a bad habit of picking up things when I am grabbing a pile of strips! 

The first one is the MILKY WAY from Augusta Cole’s Cutting Bee this January…….love it, Augusta!  This one is for Blake, my grandangel who is graduating from high school in California this spring!

Milky Way

 I also got my Star Struck Quilt bound – this is a Bonnie Hunter creation and you can get the pattern free from Bonnie Hunter’s website at www.quiltville.com.  Susan, at Quilter’s Corner, picked the fabrics from a VINTAGE HOLIDAY COLLECTION that was originally purchased for my Birth of a Sampler Quilt (a Sherry Whitford pattern!)  I love my Star Struck and am glad to have finished it!!  Thanks to Sara for quilting it!!!

Star Struck - a Bonnie Hunter Quilt Design

And I must admit I am getting quite fond of my Bonnie Hunter inspired scrappy backs!

My Scrappy Back of Star Struck

OK – now for the third quilt that came home finished.  THIS IS MY EMERALD MOMENT FROM QUILT CAMP.  I am deliriously happy.  Susan, of Quilter’s Corner, did the binding for me……for no reason at all – just to be nice.    Now, those of you who know me – REALLY KNOW ME – know that I am currently trying to engage in positive thinking in order to establish a LOVE OF BINDING.  I have a new mantra…I love to BIND, I love to BIND, I love to BIND.  I am a FIRM BELIEVER in positive attitude as a precursor for change – however my LOVE OF BINDING is developing slowly and I am SOOOOOOOOOOO THRILLED that Susan bound this for me.  It is a Dorothy Young RAISING CANE Mystery Quilt hosted by POCKET FULL OF MYSTERIES this year!    THANK YOU SUSAN!!!!!

Raising Cane - binding by SUSAN of Quilter's Corner!!!

The binding of the quilts was a major source of happiness for me, but I really enjoyed a couple of other projects at Quilt Camp.

I finished all of my blocks for MAD CITY MAMA (another Bonnie Hunter design from her new book LEADERS AND ENDERS!)  I am naming my quilt MAD CITY GRANDMAMA!

Mad City Grandmama Block

AND TA DA….I finished 55 blocks for my Curved Log Cabin Quilt – an Augusta Cole quilt……love these blocks, Augusta….and I have developed a new appreciation for accuracy.   The light colored strips are only 1 inch wide!!!  

Curved Log Cabin Blocks

And last, but not least, I made three pillowcases for the Million Pillowcase Project….

sao's Pillowcase #1

sao's Pillowcase #2

sao's Pillowcase #3

THANK YOU SO MUCH, Christy, for your generous hospitality.  Quilt Camp was so much fun!

Quilt Camp in North Carolina (Thursday through Monday) was NOT JUST FOR SEWING.  We could have been filming the REAL QUILTERS OF COROLLA MEETS THE FOOD NETWORK.  I took pictures of all of our food, table settings and favor offerings……unfortunately my camera (not the operator, of course) did not produce clear pictures of everything;  BUT I did capture a FEW pictures.

We ate the best enchiladas that I have EVER had, fantastic baked spaghetti, corn beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread,  breakfast casseroles, pumpkin bread, fruit with sherbet, and perhaps there was a tiny bit of champagne in the orange juice one morning!  One morning we had braided pastry housing ham and eggs, more pastry stuffed with scrumptious chicken, darling stuffed round pancakes, and I am probably forgetting so much more.  Let’s just say that we ATE WELL and we had a WONDERFUL TIME!

YUM

This makes me hungry all over again!

Spring time place mats and straw hat pin cushions

This was an amazing breakfast!!!!

Spring Flowers - Pretty Cool!

Looks like the Easter Bunny came!

We had so much JOY making and receiving meal favors.  Some of the MOST TALENTED folks among us embroidered FLIP FLOP NAME TAGS AND VISORS………WOWEE…..and PERSONALIZED holders for our water bottles!  We got beautiful credit card wallets, place mats, pin cushions, chocolate bunnies and jelly beans (thanks Dale and Jane),  and spectacular button laden fat quarters.  WHAT a lot of fun we had!  THANKS EVERYONE!!!!!

AMAZING - thanks Jackie and Barbara!

Sue and Lynne - we love the wallets!

LOVE LOVE LOVE the water bottle holders - thanks Alma and Sandy

Love the coasters from Jackie!

Quilt Maps and Button Laden FQ from the Queens of Creativity - Susan and Meagan

I am so sad that these pictures are so blurry – but I kept them anyway because they triggered good memories for me!  We presented Meagan – back from Afghanistan – the FLIP FLOP QUILT that we made for her – and UNFORTUNATELY this quilt was one of the pictures that did not come out!  Judy presented the quilt with a very impressive speech (and Judy also did an OUTSTANDING job of telling the jokes at dinner in Christy’s absence – we missed both Christy and Karen but their memories lived on in the many stories that we recalled!!!!!)

Judy is presenting the FLIP FLOP QUILT to Meagan

Meagan's Flip Flop Quilt

Some of us walked on the beach – it was wonderful – and remembering that a couple of years ago Karen and I got LOST, I tied a bit of fabric on the steps that led to “HOME!”  AND…..some of just enjoyed looking at the beach…..I wonder if I will have any friends left after posting these pictures……well, at least everyone will be nice to me because you do not BOTHER to harrass people that are not worthy of your efforts…..

The Beach Observers - love the spring array of colorful clothing

Sorry, I could not resist this one!

WE (I say WE because it was not my idea – I was just summoned to push the camera trigger) photographed folks sunbathing on the beach – hey, it was our first sighting of the season!  Actually I admire these folks for their positive attitudes and passion about saying goodbye to winter and hello to springtime.  LIFE LESSON HERE  - never let the weather steal your joy!

OK – and another bit of interesting news is that we all got tattoos.  Well 13 of us got identical quilt-related tattoos and Susan already had a frog so she didn’t get another!

13 of us got this tattoo - Susan has a frog (photo not included!)

Are you wondering WHOSE idea this was?  Well – without mentioning any names – her first name starts with a J and she is a very close family member of Karen.  Her name is NOT JANE!

Augusta, preparing her husband for her new and ONLY tattoo

I won’t be mentioning any names – but I heard a rumor that SOME QUILT CAMPERS had a little visit from the fire department because of a bit of egg casserole dripping onto the oven floor - this resulted in an automatic call to the local fire department.  When I saw the CALL PLUMBER switch in the bathroom, I was really worried that I might  hit that instead of the light switch and cause another emergency alert – but alas, the switch (Augusta TOLD ME TO SWITCH IT ON) only lit up the bathroom with a beautiful red light!  And with a HOPEFUL HEART, Augusta tried to summon MAID SERVICE – but alas, no one appeared when Augusta flipped the switch!

The CALL PLUMBER SWITCH lights up the bathroom!

Augusta is HOPING for maid service!

The MAID SERVICE BUTTON must have been disengaged!