Dotee Dolls

In between running around like a madwoman and packing for Myrtle Beach I got my Dotee Dolls sent to their new owners. Here is a group shot of their little faces. Hopefully my partners on Craftster aren't blog readers but if they are, sorry for the spoiler!! The dolls were fun to make but I definitely would do them differently next time. I plan to show them in their full glory once they make their way to their new homes.

We're off to the beach! I'm not sure if I'll be able to post much from there. We will have wifi but I'm not sure if I will have access to my dd's laptop. I have lots of summer reading and some hand applique all ready to go.

Have a great week everyone. Sew something for me. If you need a project to do there's a sadly neglected Orange Crush quilt in my sewing room . . .

Piece!! Jenni

More loot from the NQA show

I finally got the picture loading to work today on blogger. I thought I would post some more pics of my goodies from the NQA show last week in Columbus, Ohio.

The first pic is of the four feet I bought for my new Bernina 440. I think, sadly, her name might be Sewphie. Pathetic, I know. My son recently informed me that I am becoming the person I used to make fun of.   I think he's right!   Anyway, Sewphie's new feet:

The number 2 foot is an overlock foot that we tried out in class. It will be great to finish seams. The number 10 is an edgestitch foot that can be used with all needle positions.  I think it will be great for topstitching AND for stitching in the ditch on smaller quilty pieces that don't need the walking foot.

The number 57 is 1/4" piecing foot that has a little edge on the side.  I didn't like the foot similar to this that I had for my Viking but this one is heftier and I am finding that the Bernina feet actually do what they say they do!  

Number 43, the last foot is a freemotion couching foot.  It feeds the fiber, narrow ribbon or the "couchee" while you stitch it with the feed dogs dropped.  I think this will be fun on some artsy quilts.  When I get to them of course.  Foot 23 is on order for me by my fabulous sales folks at Beth's Creative Stitchery in Columbus. 

My next "had to have" is a circle cutter that was being demonstrated by the Olfa guy at his booth.  It works like a compass.  You basically decide what size circle you want and then cut it out of fabric with this spiffy tool.  He even threw in the extra blades for free and showed us how to practice before we start cutting.  

Below are my spiffy fibers that didn't show up in my last post.   Aren't they pretty?  Wool roving in the big bags and wool yarns wrapped on card below them.
The paper piecing pattern that will probably make me crazy but looks like it will be beautiful.  I loved the sample they had.  It looked like they used small scale repro prints in it.   Anyway, it won't be real large and all the foundations are INCLUDED.  Oh yeah.
Last but not least is this button.  Sandy was buying buttons and fun things at an antique button/trim booth.  I saw it, grabbed it and paid for it in less than a minute!  I love him.  He's pretty big and will someday be on a jacket, I think.  For me, turtles are the new rooster, but you have to see my kitchen to understand the rooster thing.  I have tooooooo many.
So, there we go.  Lots of projects to keep me busy for quite some time.  I haven't even THOUGHT about all the unstarted/untouched projects already sitting in my messy sewing stuff.  Time for a reality check.  That can wait until I get back from vacation though.

I need to go find a good hand project for the car and the beach.  I think I'll pull out a wool penny rug and the Baltimore style block of the month I bought from my LQS before it closed.  It needs attention.

One more dotee doll to make and then they go to their new homes tomorrow.  The link to the one I received already is here.  First I need to put away all my laundry.  I went to the laundromat today with 15 loads of towels, clothes and bedding so I could get it done all at once.  

Tonight I make one more dotee as a reward to myself.

Piece!  Jenni

Happy 25th to the Hubby and Me!!!

Wow.  25 years.  Where did the time go?  Four great kids, a dog, a cat and a huge house later we've had a great life.  I'm a happy, very lucky girl.  Happy Anniversary baby!!

Quilt Show Goodies

Here are some great wool roving and wool fibers (looks like yarn scraps, lol) from Della Jane. (OOPS-Pics didn't show up.  Gah!)  I can't wait to use them with my felting attachment for my Bernina.  Maybe a purse or a sweater this fall/winter?  For now I'm just taking them out of the bag and admiring them.  This booth had a little kit to dye fibers, too.  It was mainly a pack of koolaid and some plain wool.  I was excited to see it as this is what I intend to do with the wool roving I bought from ebay recently.

More goodies:

Thread and batting for star quilt (from earlier posts).  The one on the right is for the back.  I can't wait to see how they look!

Batik's were calling to me at the show.  I've been wanting to play with jelly rolls and also try some bargello style quilting.  I drooled over the green one and bought it.  The girls at the booth at webfabrics.net laughed at me when I went back first thing the next morning to get the pink one, too!  I kept thinking about how badly I wanted it.  Now if only I'd gotten the gold set . . .

The same booth had the lovely "Bali pops" set.  This is the one I'm going to try to do a bargello with, just to play.  They're so beautiful!

The last pic is of the squares, already cut, for the 5 easy pieces 

Mmmm.  Better than ice cream!

Other purchases:

Four new feet for my Bernina.  Probably the priciest big buy but I knew the girls from the shop where I bought my machine, Beth's Creative, would be at the show and feet were 20% off.  Carol, my saleswoman, even went to the shop early in the morning to bring the feet I wanted to the show.  There was one that they were out of that I wanted and she is going to hold it for me when it comes in and give me the discount. What a sweetie! Can't wait to play with these!

Eleanor Burns was there and signed this Christmas book I bought.  It's a little outdated but with the right fabrics the projects I liked should look great.  They also had a patten and easy piecing method for a Jacob's Ladder in the book, a quilt I want to make for DS1.  I also bought one of those rotating Olfa mats, a cool Olfa tool that cuts perfect circles, a great turtle button and a paperpiecing pattern of a star.  It looks complicated but lovely.  Unfortunately, it's taking pics FOREVER to load today and I have to pick up DS1 from summer gym and meet hubby for an anniversary lunch.

Will there be Dotee's?  There have to be!  Three are done, two to go.  Hope to post the little group for you soon.

Piece!  Thanks for stopping by!  Jenni

Five Easy Pieces

I'm home from the NQA Quilt Show in Columbus and trying to catch up on laundry.  When I got back Saturday we had an all day hog roast fundraiser for DS1's football team and Sunday we were invited to a lovely cookout.  Trying to put things away and do damage control on the house.  I always feel like a maid when I get home from a trip!!

Anyway, my dear friend Sandy and I took a class at the show called "5 Easy Pieces" by Diane Hire.  She's written some great books and had one of her quilts there that was awesome to see up close.  The class list had us bringing two sets of 5 six inch squares of fabric that we would put into a quilt, some thread, batting and a backing.  Naturally I bought way too many sets plus extra batting and backing.  It was a good thing, though because Sandy brought some fat quarters we decided not to cut up and used my fabrics, which worked well for her.  Here she is having fun.

Here are our sets when we finished the class.

 Mine are on the right.  I actually got them pieced, cut out and quilted during the class.  I finished the edges but am not real happy with them.  The threads kept catching around the corners and they need to be ironed here!  I intend to join them somehow and embellish them.  I'll cover up the bobbles with some beads or something.  I borrowed a Janome (they were provided for the class).  It was very nice but I am so used to my old Viking Lily 550 (for sale if you're interested) and my new Bernina 440 QE.  I needed a walking foot I think.  Anyway, it was a fun class.  Here are Diane Hire's samples.  The one on the left is the class we did.  She joined them all on a quilted strip of fabric.

In the middle, the turquoise/purple set are some squares she's doing and trimming for a quilt. Sandy and I bought some batik fat sixteenths to make one like this.  We thought we would work on it in our hotel room but were exhausted from all the quilt viewing and, of course, SHOPPING!!  We did get them all cut into squares and ready to go.  We both bought the same set of green batiks and are sharing some cool purpley and pink sets.  I'm excited to get going on them.  

Tune in tomorrow and I'll share everything I bought with you.  I'm so excited to use it! Unfortunately, I have to finish my dotee dolls and we are going on vacation soon and then I need to quilt the star quilt when we get back.  I'm planning on forcing, and I do mean FORCING myself to clean up my messy, horrible sewing closet before I get started.  I figure that once it is cleaned up and the kids go back in the fall I can sew to my hearts content.

Well, sew to my hearts content when laundry, cooking, cleaning and the possible threat of needing employment to help pay for college educations don't hamper my fun.  Reality is such a creativity killer!

I'm off to take the DS1 to his football "camp" at the high school.  DS2 and DD2 and I are taking my MIL out for dinner.  We've been terribly neglectful of her lately!!

Piece friends!  Jenni

oops

Been slacking at the blogger front!  We took everyone to Cedar Point over the weekend.  The kids talked me into riding the Dragster and the Millenium Force.  I lived to tell about it and my neck isn't killing me so all is good.  It was a lot of fun, actually.

Football conditioning is in full force for DS1 so the "Mother's Club" has already been busy.  I had to cook 22 lbs of hamburger up into taco meat for a concession stand fundraiser we were doing.  I don't think I can ever eat a taco again.  My kitchen smelled AWFUL!!  The fundraiser didn't do as well as hoped, either so we are looking towards the next one as a money maker for the club.  We try to raise money to pay for the food we feed the boys during 2-a-days in August and for end of season gifts.  DS2 went to football camp last week and is at basketball camp this week.  He turned 12 last Friday!!  Hard to believe my baby is that old.

DD1 is home from college and officially a sophomore.  She is catching up with friends before starting her job in a couple weeks.  DD2 has been working as a lifeguard.  Her friend is back in Children's hospital and we are hoping for good news and better health.  I did get the top pieced for her quilt.

Hmm. It kind of wrinkled when I folded it.  The pattern for this quilt is "Lucky Stars" by Atkinson Designs.  The instructions are fabulous and she has you make the stars larger than you need and cut them down to the right size so everything lines up really well. I would definitely recommend the pattern and may try it again with some of my stash.  I bought the backing to match her bedroom.  It's the lighter blue fabric.  The dark blue will be the binding.

I'm planning on quilting it next week.  I am headed to the NQA quilt show with my friend Sandy on Wednesday.  We are going to stay there for a couple nights and take a class called "5 easy pieces" on Thursday.  I'm so excited!  Sandy is the one that got me started with quilting in the first place.  She moved about 45 minutes away and is working full time so I don't get to see her as often anymore.  I'm off to run kids and work on my Dotee Dolls for the Craftster swap.  The last step of the Orange Crush is going to have to wait until the Lucky Stars quilt is quilted.

Piece everyone!  Jenni

I got a GNOME!

Here is my handsome new gnome.  He's actually pretty goofy looking but I've always wanted one and he was 40% off at Cracker Barrel this morning.  I'm sure the kids will be starting to worry.  

It's been quite busy since I last posted.  Hubby and I went to Key West and had a great time.  It's beautiful, warm and fun.  I would definitely go again even though I've never seen so many surly bartenders in my life.  We had a couple good ones but many, one jerk at Schooner's Wharf in particular, were surly.   The food was fabulous and we have lots of great pics and memories.

Youngest DS played in the Gus Macker this weekend. He and his team wore the shirts I stencilled using freezer paper, acrylic paint and textile medium. They didn't win anything but they played well and I'm proud of them! Older DS decided not to play this year. He's giving up basketball all together after a lousy freshman experience. Just when he's growing, too! He's probably close to 6'3" and still going. Oh well, he's committed to football at the moment.

GUS MACKER TEAM:  Mac and Cheese (Mac is mine, on the left)
The other team members were the "cheese".  We had Cheddar, Stinky and Colby.  They had fun coming up with their names!  I made cheese "holes" in the numbers when I stencilled them.  It amused me at least!!

No quilting to report.  I need to get the next clue started for the Orange Crush mystery and work on the star quilt but I have been so busy with end of school activities and I came home with a head cold with a wicked headache from Key West that is just now letting up.  Hopefully I can get the machine set up and work a little tonight.  

I signed up to do the Dotee Doll swap on Craftster.  I've always wanted to make some of these.  Should be a fun one!!

I worked in the yard this afternoon.  I was afraid the neighbors were going to start calling the city.  If anyone has a good way to get rid of poison ivy plants, please let me know. I found several batches.  I sprayed with a very concentrated batch of Round Up but am afraid of that stuff.  I probably killed everything around it, unfortunately.  I feel like sneaking over in the neighbors yard tonight to spray it on their side of the fence.  Anyone ever been arrested for illegal use of pesticides?!!  I hope I stayed far enough away from those evil leaves of three.

 Anyway, tomorrow I put in some very late flowers so my yard and patio will look nice again.  Besides, I need to dress it up now for my gnome.  Maybe I should have a gnome naming contest . . . .

Piece!  Jenni