To boldly quilt where no one has quilted before...

Finally I have finished this quilt top!  Now I just need someone who will quilt it for me.  I need someone who understands the need to quilt it carefully because of all the applique and special embellishments.  If you know any one please contact me Ive been running out of option.

**How weird I just discovered this post somehow got unpublished.  So republish!

keep dreaming...Colleen

Pulled my hand dyed to work on a little art project.

Saturday ritual

Every Saturday I look forward to a new blog post from Barabara Brackman on the Grandmother's Choice QAL blog.  I love her QAL because she combines American history (my fav subject!) and quilting.  Last year she did a Civil War QAL in honor of the anniversary of the start of the war.  I loved the history and will definitely buy the book when it comes out, but I did not make it past the 9th block.  Life got busy and I stupidly tried to make each 8" block as a 12".  I have enough for a quilt but would have loved to do the whole quilt.  So this year she is doing a shorter quilt along with a focus on women's suffrage   I'm doing great so far but last week's block was a b@#$%.  

This is the basket of civil war era repro prints that I am pulling from to make these blocks.  

Below are my blocks so far.  Click on the name of the block to read the history that goes with it.

Block #1-Grandmother's choice

Block #2-Amethyst-Suffragettes

Block #3-Union Square-Red for Rebellion

Block #4 -Kansas Sunflower:  Yellow and Gold (aka block from hell)

I hated sewing the curves on this block and it is a mess!  Those are not artful tucks!

Block #5 - New Jersey-Suffrage Pioneer

This block was a JOY to piece!  

First I selected 4 fabrics.

I pulled out a 3' hst Marti Mitchell template to trim the corners.  It makes piecing triangles much more accurate.

 

And here are all five so far!  Not bad!

keep dreaming...Colleen

Stretching after run.  Doing 4th No boundaries!

Randomness

Random pictures and cant seem to ever have time or energy to blog about.

Modern Scrappy bits swap-made my partner a glasses case.  Used the pattern for pencil case in Zakka Style(love this book).  Included the requisite fat quarter of scraps.

This is my awesomeness by Teri!   OMG The best sewing kit ever-a Tardis!

My blocks I swapped in Triad MQG, this was block #2.  Block #1 did not square to 12.5.  What's up with that?  Original pattern 'Led down the garden path'

Because these blocks sure had me going in the wrong direction.  More blocks for the trunk.

and here at the ones I received from the swap.  Should be a great quilt someday.

Ive finally gotten Kalli-cat to sit near my sewing machine and not be scared when I sew.  she is even starting to pose a little.

He feels superior sitting here, and she can look out the window,

and touch me with her paw,

keep dreaming...Colleen

been making lots of these flowers for the shower

Remembering...

I was giving the end of quarter test to my 2nd grade class.  We were a year round school and just about to go on a 3 week intersession.  Someone came to my door and whispered the news.  As soon as the test was over I went to the library.  Parent volunteers, at school to help with a library move, stood around a tv watching the news.  I could not believe it. Our school and all schools in the state went on lockdown.  We all left school quickly and quietly at the end of the day.  I went to see my mom and dad.  Then I went home.  I turned on my computer, connected to the interent (dialup) and then clicked on one of my favorite links.  The web cam located on top of the north tower I think.  I had found it a couple of years before and loved to watch the views from there.  It reminded me of my trip to NYC when my friend Susan and I had gone up to the observation deck on the South tower.  I clicked on the link and it said page not found.

I miss having a class.  I used to teach about it.  Patriots Day.  We made flag t-shirts that say I remember 9-11.  We wrote about it.  I still have photocopies of the pictures and words they wrote.  

Our school system does not even really recognize it.  They played a short video (6min) a couple of times today..  But they didn't even send out a schedule until last night.  How are teachers supposed to plan for that?  and there were only 2 times during the regular school day.  

I hope every remembers and never forgets.

keep dreaming...Colleen

Lucky Duck Dreams shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Lucky Duck Dreams just shared an Instagram photo with you:

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"I got this beautiful wood tray @kheliwud auction. I'm using it for the bridal shower name tag project. Kelly do you think your fil made it?"

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The Instagram Team

Lucky Duck Dreams shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Lucky Duck Dreams just shared an Instagram photo with you:

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"Ok BEST sewing case EVER!!!! It's a Doctor Who police box!!!! Modern Scrappy Bits swap rocked!!"

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Lucky Duck Dreams shared an Instagram photo with you

Hi there,

Lucky Duck Dreams just shared an Instagram photo with you:

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" Scrappy Stellar star Top finished @kheliwud ! I hope to quilt it this weekend"

Thanks,
The Instagram Team

Laboring, rewards, rest

So I labored all day Saturday at a yard sale with my sister and her fiance.  I did good selling my stuff.  Then Sunday I took my profits and spent some at the annual ginormous Hillsville, VA flea market.  

These vintage pyrex dishes were everywhere.

And check out this iron!  Love the color but it weighed a ton!  Still wouldn't it look great sitting in my studio?  Its my color!

Its sad that so many of the antique dealers who have had the same places for decades have been pushed out by the carnival-esque new cheap goods sellers.  Socks, tshirts, shoes, gadgets, etc.  There are still a ton of dealers but even in the VFW grounds where there used to be edge to edge dealers, now there were empty spaces and parked cars.  And even a carnival balloon game!  I hope they dont ruin it completely.

I did see some great stuff though.  I missed getting a 5 drawer watchmakers cabinet similar to above for $100.  I didnt have enough cash on me and I went to get more.  Should have put a deposit down.  Oh well. 

I saw quite a few of these .

This picture is for Nancy-its a Victorian clothes dryer similar to the one in my studio.

And this is my haul!

Yes that is a sewing machine!  He sews like a dream!  Only $25!

I think its a he.  He reminds me of a classic Chevy.  I think that might be his name.

He came with a great attachment box.  Only a couple of feet and one bobbin.  Luckily the bobbins are the same as the ones for my Kenmore.  I have tons of them.

These old bobbins are fun to wind lace or ribbon or binding around.  I tried to get a variety.

I was so excited to find this from one of my favorite vendors-Victrola man.  He deals in those and and other antiques.  And I used to buy needles for my Victrola from him  I couldn't find him in his usual place.  He was always next to stereoscope man.   Victrola  man said he was too old and fat to come anymore.  Of course Victrola man is skinny and 83.  I have a thing about modern egg slicers always breaking or being hard to use.  My dad said he'd had one just like it when he was a kid.

A cute little jar of buttons.

There were many vendors with fishing gear and I found this vintage red and white Arbogast Jitterbug.  I'd been wanting one for a while.

I found some vintage quilt blocks.  I look for  fabric, condition, techniques, and pattern.  This first one I would love to add to my studio wall.  I may have to get a new frame because I cant decide which block to take down.

I love the scrapiness of the petals of this Dresden.

These crumb blocks are so neat!  I loved the various fabrics. They are all hand stitched...

 onto fabric foundations!

I always love to get some marbles to add to my marble jar.

Needless to say I got a lot of sun this weekend.  And my feet hurt.  

*******

So today I rested and finished up a sewing project.  

Im participating in the Modern Scrappy bits swap.  We make a tiny zakka item with our scraps for our partner and then send it with a fat quarter equivalent of scraps. I made my partner a case for her glasses as she asked.

   I covered a fat quarter with scraps.  I found the pattern in Zakka Style book.  It is actually for a pencil case but I increased the width slightly and it works perfectly.

******

keep dreaming...Colleen

A friend sent me a random Spoonflower code last weekend to order a FQ for $1 !! So I ordered the Heather Ross girl in the tower and got my mom to order the   campers.  Tried to get my sister too but the code had expired.