January Projects

I have been busy with several new projects and finding new ideas/patterns etc to make in Feburary. I'm so glad that January went by so fast. I worked on finishing the binding on the quilt that I'm going to enter in our guild quilt show in April. It is called Old Hawaii. I need to put the sleeve and label on it and it is ready to go.
I made small wall hanging for Valentine's using the same pattern idea from Cottage Creek Backdoor quilt series. It is handing near the front door.
I finished a long wall hanging called Buckets of Fun by Carol Kurth/Ruby Lagoon Quilt Co in Salem. It is sand buckets/ocean beach. I need to put the binding on it.
I found a cute quilt called Sweet Hearts in the Easy Quilting Fons and Porter Spring 2011. I found cute red and white materical for it.
I have a quilt on my small arm that I will start on tomorrow. There are so many quilt projects that I want to do and not enough time but I'm working on it.
I went to guild meeting yesterday. It was very interesting with Marian Burns a representative for Blank Textiles. They have alot of beautiful fabric and blenders. I found 2 red fabric at Cotton Patch for my Sweet Hearts Quilt that are Blank Fabrics. It was nice to go to the guild meeting since I missed most to them last year.

Happy New Year 2011

I took the Christmas tree down on Monday since I worked the New Years Day weekend. I enjoy the holidays and have always hated January. But a New Year has started it is going to be a fun year. I got the class schedule for the Sisters Quilter's Affair on Monday. They have classes from Monday-Friday before the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show on July 9. I have signed up to take Melinda Bula 2 day workshop on July 5 and 7 called Fabulous Fusible Flowers. I saw her on the Quilt Show and wanted to take one of her classes. I have her book called Cutting Garden Quilts. It should be a fun 2 day workshop. I will not go to the Quilt Show this year.
I hope to start a new project and start quilting on a quilt which is on the short arm now. It is going to be a Fun Quilting Year. Happy Quilting

Happy New Year's Eve

Today I want to say goodbye to 2010 and welcome 2011. I have NO UFO's which is sounds like alot of quilters have at the end of the year. I promised myself that I would finish an quilt project which I have faithful done in 8 years. I have several quilting goals for 2011 which are as follows:
1) I will turn 60 in April so have decided to go to Paducah Quilt Show( April 27-30) and the International Quilt Show in Houston(Nov 3-6). I have lodging for both events and booked several classes in Paducah. I want to take alot of classes this year to learn more different types of quilting. I have classes with David Taylor and Libby Lehman in Paducah. My supportive husband Wayne is going with me to see Paducah and Nashville. I will go to Houston by myself and visit with a college girlfriend after the show.
2) Small quilting groups from the guild. MegaQuilter group with 2 other guild memebers that have short arm machines.
3) Enter a quilt in our Mid Valley Quilt guild Quilt Show in April and possible in the Oregon State Fair.
4) Attend more classes at different quilt stores and at Sisters Outdoor Faire/Quilt Show in July.
5) Practice more with my Pfaff Grandquilter to get better in free motion quilting.
6) Attend more meetings at the guild and assist with activites.
It is going to be a fun full year of quilting for me. Happy Quilting and Happy New Year 2011.

Happy/Sad Year 2010

It is hard to believe that another year is ending and new one begining in a few days. It has been a up and down past year. It was very hard to see our golden retriever Mandy get sick(?brain tumor from the end of Jan to end of April) after having her for almost 10 years. We miss her so much and it was the first time without a dog in 25 years. Our new golden retriever Maddie is growing fast and still in the puppy stage. She is alot of fun and has 2 speeds FAST and OH MY GOSH speed. My job has been a challenge this year. The 2 year plan is to retire from part time to per diem. I'm so glad I had my left hip replaced in August. I'm the bionic woman with 2 new hips. I didn't keep up with my walking 2 miles 4 days a week due to hip pain.
We enjoyed going camping all over the state this year. We had a great time in Kauai in March to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.
I'm so glad I have the love for quilting. It is so much fun to look and feel fabric and make a quilt from it. It is so relaxing to sew and quilt in my 2 studios. I really enjoyed going to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show in July. I took a great class called Old Hawaii and finished a quilt that I plan to enter in our Mid Valley Quilt Guild Quilt Show in April. I had a quilt in the show and was a host too.
So as I say goodbye to 2010 I'm looking forward to 2011. I'm thankful my health, my wonderful husband, friends and family. Pray for peace and love around the world.

Merry Christmas

The time from Thanksgiving to Christmas is a wonderful time. We enjoy getting together with our friends/neighbors to celebrate the season. This was the first year we cut our Christmas tree with our new golden retriever Maddie. Since we moved to Oregon we have always cut a Christmas tree at the Sunrise Tree Farm near us. We lost our golden retriever Mandy in April. She loved Christmas. She will be with us in spirit.
We will celebrate Christmas with our "kids" Maddie(7 1/2 months old) and Sassy(our cat). We have enjoyed Christmas with our annual Christmas appetizer party with our friends, Sounds of Christmas at Guthrie Park, Christmas Open House at our neighbor house(C&M), Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Portland with the famous Rockettes and Christmas Eve service at our church. We remember our service men and women and their families in our prayers to keep them safe. We pray for peace, love and understanding in his holiday season.
Our families live in different states but we are their in spirit. Merry Christmas!!!

Mega Quilter Group

I meet with 2 guild members( Kathy and Norma) that have short arm quilt machines like mine this past Monday. We had a nice lunch and talked about how we like or dislike/problems with quilting on a short arm. We are going to meet at my house in January. I will show my quilt studios and my quilts plus I will make lunch. I think it will be a good learning experience. I brought a quilt kit of Patrick Lose Studios called Fall Finery which is a applique table runner. It was on sale at Craftwarehouse. I'm putting the binding on it. I want to start on a new project and get started on my quilt on the machine after the holidays. I made several fall and holiday projects this year. It has been alot of fun.

Mega Quilter Group

I belong to the Mid Valley quilt guild in Salem. In the last issue on Quilt Ink which is our month newsletter it had about small groups in the area. I found one that was about short arm quilting. I talked to Kathy and she was starting the group to share ideas and learn more about short arm quilting. She had another gal interested(Norma) so we are going to get together on Dec 20 at a resturant in Dallas for our 1st meeting. I'm looking forward to learning more about short arm quilting. We can share notes about problems and solutions to using a short arm quilt machine. More news later about this group.