Sewcation part 2

Catching up on my blog posts going back to June.

After I spent a few days in Boone at the NCRA leadership Conference I traveled on to Gatlinburg to stay in my parents Blue Green vacation club. 

 It was a lovely place.

The drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains was beautiful.

The place was a lovely condo with wildlife every where. 

 Though I never did see that bear. 

 There was plenty of room for me to set up my sewing area.  And even an empty chest to store my fabric.

 I used the included ironing board and iron. 

My goal was to make the Kauffman Solids challenge quilt. 

I had a triptic board covered in felt to use as a design wall.

As you can see I had fun and accomplished my goal. 

I also worked on the cancer quilt.  I need to finish sewing on the borders and then quilt it.

There was a great Fabric Store on the Artists 8 mile loop. 

 It was a moda fabric lovers dream. 

The store was in a small pedestrian mall. 

 She had a long arm studio in another storefront across the way. 

Her husband helps her out. 

When I was there he was cutting fat quarters. 

She had lots of repros-40s and Civil War prints. 

I really loved this quilt pattern. 

She also had a lot of batiks. 

This is the quilt she designed for the recent shop hop that unfortunately had already happened the weekend before.

It was a wonderfulfour days in Gatlingburg.  Its a little commercial though more quaint then Pigeon Forge.  It was just nice to get away from life and be ablt to sew without distraction.

Keep dreaming...Colleen

Sewcation part 1

I had a sewcation for the last week.  Well I also attended a conference and visited Gatlinburg, TN but it was my first sewcation as well.

I was in Boone, NC at the La Quinta Inn to attend the NC Reading Association (NCRA)Leadership Conference.  It was my first time attending and I enjoyed learning more about NCRA and its role in the world of literacy.

I alos enjoyed getting to hear and talk to author Carol Crane again.  She is one of my favorite children's book authors.

She is an inspiring person who has done so much in her years as an author and historian.  Especially travel.  I envy her travel experiences.

Her new book The Handkerchief Quilt is about a teacher who makes a quilt out of thevhandkercheifs she has received as presents over the years from her students.  It is based on a true story about her mother.

For the first time I took my sewing machine and supplies to set up in the hotel room.  I brought the projects I blogged about. 



I have a portable rigid design wall made with an
old piece of felt stapled to a triptic board.

I decided to finish assembling the cancer quilt top first.  I was working on designing the Bee blocks and assembly was mindless.  I did not get as much done in Boone as the conference days were long and I was tired.  I enjoyed meeting my roommate Joyce.  She is also a quilter!  We were bad girls and tended to stay up late talking.  He he!  It was fun.  I stayed one extra day in Boone before moving on to Gatlinburg, TN. 

Finished sewing the blocks together and started to sew the border.  I forgot some fusibles I need for the Bee blocks so had to go visit the two local quilt shops, darn!  Friday I drove south west to Gatlinburg for part 2, stay tuned.

Keep Dreaming...Colleen



Lovly Blueridge Mts in NC.



Amy's One Week challenge

Im going away fro a week.  I may or may not blog depending on if I have internet.  Part of that time I will be at a conference in the mountains and part of that time I will be in just the lovely mountains.  However this is also a sewcation.  I am taking along my sewing machine and fabric and hope to complete a few projects. 

1.  my Kauffman solids dusty pallete quilt top. 

2.  my two block Swap adventure blocks and my May Let's Bee Together block.  I am using the motivation of Amy's Creative Side One thing One Week Challenge to finish these.

3.  Maybe my Cancer blocks for Relay quilt.

 

Keep dreaming...Colleen


A few y ears ago Dad and I with the beautiful oak stereo cabinet/window seat
we made from an old drafting table.



Playing Catch up

So I need to play a little catchup.  I have had a lot to blog about the last three weeks but have not seemed to have the time or energy to do so.  So I will just throw it all out there in the order I can find and upload the many pics I have taken.

First I need some advice on the relay quilt.  This has taken longer then I planned because you can never really plan for life.  I had 150 5" squares sent to me from Australia for the quilt.  They blue and green purple.  I want to use them for the border.  I laid them out along side the star blocks and think they go well.  What do you think?

I could even make it double as I have plenty of squares.  I will use some on the back too.  I need to make two more star blocks-one in memory of my grandmother and one in memory of my grandfather.  I have already made one in memory my dad's mom and in memory of the mom of a student at my school who I knew.

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I also received the most amazing quilt from The Bella Modiste for the DQS10!

She included some fun fat quarters, that I am even now contemplating using. 

It is amazing how well it fits me.  Everytime I look at it I imagine myself kayaking through the reeds on my favorite lake in Canada.

She even put in the blue dragonflies that are everywhere there.

*****

My dad made the comment a month or so ago when I had stopped by, where is his mug rug?

I made this one for mom because she only had a Christmas one,

 and I had made my sister this one for her birthday to replace her Christmas one. 

So...

I had to make this one. 
Monkey wrench pattern with tool fabric and blue plaid shirt like material.  If you look closely the wood print has nail heads quilted on it and looks like a deck-my dad loves to build things and just built another deck.  And...

this is the back!  Red sports cars...he always wanted a red Corvette!

Ignore the wonkiness-the stretch of the blue plaid and the freakiness of my Kenmore was messing with me.  It seemed to fit Dad anyway!  And do you know mom said today he wants to know why his is smaller that mom's?  I should point out I made him the biggest Christmas stocking and isn't that more important?
*****
My wonky Kenmore reminds me, I got lucky last week and ...

bought a Babylock Sofia!  Yeah!  Isnt she pretty?  Well 1/2 yeah as it is in layaway, but...wait to you hear the deal I got!  Its a couple of months old and the person who bought it decided she needed to upgrade and relaly did not use it.  It does a little embroidery, which is all I want to do.  Most importantly for me is it will machine quilt!  The price was about half the regular price with all warrenties intact and free unlimited classes and help from my LQS!  Yeah! 

*****

I received this lovely block in March for the Block Swap Adventure from my second partner Brenda. 

I love it!  She really made the perfect block to go with the other three!

I have decided to be optimistic and designate these blocks for the quilt I want for my future camper.  The colors, and the animals in each block make it perfect for that purpose.  BTW I accidentally sent a thank you to my April partner!  LOL!  She did!  That's what happen when you double up one month and are in too many swaps!

*****

So that catches us up a little.  I still need to blog about Bee Creative, Stone Mountain treasures, and more...

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Oh in case you missed my last post,
I made the top 100 in the Accuquilt Barn Quilt Designcontest! 

 Please go here and vote for my design.  I am listed as Colleen Y.

Keep dreaming...Colleen

Today through driving rain and wind Mom, dad, & I
checked out a local RV open house-free food-yum!