Wednesday, February 20, 2019

An Annoucement

You may have noticed a new button on my sidebar.  The one with the gecko that says Island Batik 2019 Ambassadors.  That's me!!  I am an Ambassador!  How did that happen?  Late last year I was reading blogs and came across a link to apply to become a 2019 Island Batik Ambassador.  Hmmm, sounded simple enough so I applied.  I thought I would receive maybe a book or some FQs.  And promptly forgot about it.  Fast forward to January.  Received an email saying to watch for shipment from Island Batik.  ???  Okay.  The next day a HUGE BOX was at my door.  I brought it in and checked the label.  NOT Island Batik.  But definitely my name and address.  The outside of the box said "Accuquilt".  ???  I opened the box!  OH WOW--there is a Go Cutter and accessories!  I know I didn't order it, I know my husband didn't order it!  The packing slip only has my name on it.  What to do?  I called Accuquilt.  Yes, its part of the Island Batik Ambassador program of which they are a partner!  ITS MINE!!  I'd love to show you a picture--but I was so excited I forgot to take a picture when I opened the box.  And I can't get a picture to upload from the internet.  But please click on the link to see what I got--Accuquilt

A few days later another box arrived--


I opened it--



And wonderful things began to spill out!



All kinds of wonderful things, fabrics, Aurifil thread, badges, a scarf--




All different kinds of Hobbs batting!  Thank you Hobbs!  

These are new not released yet fabrics that I can play with but not show you--yet!

So for the next 12 months you will see me posting about using these products.  Thank you Island Batik, Accuquilt, Hobbs, and Aurifil for letting me participate in this fun program!

~Lori1R in South Dakota~

PS--I was given all these wonderful things by Island Batik


Monday, February 18, 2019

Design Wall Monday

Yesterday we loaded the gray child's quilt on the Princess--


I chose a new pantograph for this quilt--Clematis by Jodi Beamish--


 Its a paper pantograph that is quite tight, so I enlarged it with a copy machine, its now about 16", up from 13".  Too dense a quilt pattern is hard to do and sometimes make the quilt hard.  Now this pattern is just right.  All the backtracking is not my favorite thing but I do like how it looks. 


On my sewing machine are these block "parts"--


I also have a finish--


A quilt made by Judy B in Minnesota!  Its a wildlife quilt, there are mallard ducks and hawks in the print.  Judy also had a perfect backing--

 
The running horses is a flannel and perfect match to the front of the quilt.  I quilted it and did the binding--so my contribution was 3/4 yd of brown for the binding!  This will be going to the boys group home.  They love these quilts.  


No goals this week, just sewing like a wild woman!  

~Lori1R in South Dakota~

Saturday, February 16, 2019

RSC Yellow

Yellow is the color for February.  I love yellow!  This week I had fun making Garlic Knot blocks--



 and these

and this one


Not all have yellow, I made them because I loved the colors!  25 Garlic Knot blocks this week, mindless sewing!  How many Garlic Knot blocks do I have--



127!  YAH!!  These went in a Ziploc bag with the note telling how many there are.  I have a project tote where I keep all the precut "parts", mostly backgrounds.  Happy Cheery Yellow!  I'm linking with SoScrappy!  

This week I also did a little cooking--


A Gumbo served over rice.  Think of a Gumbo as a Stew.  It had chicken, sausage, onions, sweet peppers, celery, garlic, a roux, beef broth, stewed tomatoes, okra, and Cajun seasoning.  I added lots of carrots because Ken likes carrots, not usually found in Gumbo.  

And a peach pie for Valentines Day.  Ken likes most any pie!
 
~Lori1R in South Dakota~

Monday, February 11, 2019

Design Wall Monday

These blue Ohio Star blocks are on my wall--


Blue is not my favorite color.  I don't hate it, its just not my favorite.  So decided that maybe a wide variety of blues would help and I used Dee's Ohio Star die to cut a blue/white project.  And I used a wide variety of background whites to add interest (thank you 2Rs for sharing your whites!)  The perfectly cut pieces/corners makes it easy peasy to put these blocks together, perfect for mindless sewing.  


No goals this week, its going to be busy.  Just SEW SEW SEW SEW!! 

~Lori1R in South Dakota~

Saturday, February 9, 2019

RSC Yellow

Yellow!  I love yellow!  So far I've made these blocks--


Maybe more gold than yellow but I only used fabric from the never ending box of pressed FQs and Chunks.  Wait, you've never seen that box!  Here it is--




Its a big heavy box!  Two persons to carry it.  An estimated 125 FQs and Chunks.  These are the "scraps" I have left to cut.  All the smaller pieces I cut before I went to Nebraska.  I plan to cut out of this box as much as possible.  I'm linking with SoScrappy!  

Its been nasty cold.  Last night the furnace for my She Shed was sulky.  I'm not a furnace guru, so I set small electric heaters, one upstairs and one in the basement, until Ken got home from work at 7am.  I knew nothing would freeze that quickly.  He cleared a bit of snow in the outside vent pipe and its working fine again.  We're going to have warmer temps, we will get to single digits for a few days.  Then back to below zero for a couple weeks.  Will spring ever get here?? 

~Lori1R in Nebraska~

Monday, February 4, 2019

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

Not my design wall nor my quilt--


It's Lorri2Rs!  This was a Kevin the Quilter mystery called Sapphire Stars.  2Rs gave it to Dee for QOV.  

Last week we were with Dee in Nebraska for a Scrap Attack Cutting Party.  It was beastly cold weather to travel in -- Polar Vortex --  but we made it.  We brought lots of supplies--


We hauled it in with 2Rs wagon and filled Dee's living room--Dee was happy to see us but a bit overwhelmed by how much we brought.  When we said "Scrap Attack" Dee thought small scraps.  Surprise, we meant chunks and FQs or small yardage!  But we started in cutting and were VERY productive!


I sorted my chunks and FQs on Dee's floor, couch, chairs--wherever there was room.  Pretty soon we were busy slashing our stash--


CHOP CHOP CHOP!!!  Dee has a large dining room table we worked at.  What all did we cut? 


I cut two Log Cabins (1.5" strips) two Log Cabins (2" strips), an Ohio Star, a Churn Dash, and 50 Snail Trail blocks (25 for Shakespeare in the Park).  7 quilts!  2Rs weighed the trimmings--I had 4# of slivers.  We sorted off anything usable and put it in Dee's string box--she has two groups that make string quilts for donation.   We neatly bagged and tagged what we cut.  The Go Cutters made quick work of what we brought.  I could have cut more but really--7 quilts is enough for now.  How much did 2Rs cut?  More than I did--she had 8# of trimmings!  And we mean tiny bits!  I brought home lots of pressed FQs and the never ending box of neutral scraps.  Probably 125 pressed FQs and 8# of neutral scraps (yes we weighed them).  They are going underneath the spare bed, they are pressed flat, I'm not folding them up.  

Weekly Goals--

Put away what came back from Nebraska
SEW SEW SEW SEW

Yes, that's the plans for this week.  Its beastly cold again today.  Good weather to stay inside and sew.  


Have a great week!  

~Lori1R in South Dakota~

Playing Catchup

Its been busy!  Thanksgiving has come and gone, soon it will be Christmas.  We got our vaccinations a couple weeks ago--Covid, RSV, Influena...