One Piece at a Time

Eleanor and Me

Well, I made it back from Houston safe and maybe not so sound. It seems that cold I had the week before I went has returned with a vengeance. I feel sorry for the people who sat next to me on the plane.

Next I want to extend my prayers and sympathies for those of you who have been affected by the storm. I hope everything gets sorted out soon. Hugs to you.

This little picture here is probably in my top 5 favorites from Houston…probably the top 1 to tell the truth. On Friday night there was a sample buying event that I went to and who should I find but Eleanor Burns. I think Eleanor is a Quilting National Treasure and I wouldn’t have been a quilter if she hadn’t published her books.

Way back in the 1980’s, when I was a student I used to ride my bike by this super cute quilt shop almost every day. I finally worked up enough courage to go in one day and I was mesmerized. I didn’t buy a thing because the fabric was so expensive and I was a starving student but I did go to my local craft store and pick up a copy of her book, A Trio of Treasured Quilts.

And my first project was a queen sized Ohio Star quilt. Of course the quilt fell apart just a few years later because I used cheap hobby store fabric and only tied it but I was hooked on quilting all the same.

I actually told her this whole story and we had a really nice visit. As a matter of fact, I even went back to her booth yesterday when I was feeling really bad and we had an even nicer visit. I think Eleanor is now my favorite cure for colds….I sure hope I didn’t give it to her…sorry if I did.

I will be back next week with pictures from Houston and hopefully a little quilting. Right now I am going to sit on the sofa, watch Call the Midwife and blow my nose, over and over and over again.

Off to Houston

As if my new, big girl job wasn’t cool enough….tomorrow I am off to International Quilt Market in Houston, Texas. I am so excited I can hardly breathe. I have been told that I need to bring an absolutely enormous suitcase so I can bring back goodies. I think this one should do.

I might be able to borrow a laptop…if that works out I will try to blog “real time”. If not I will have loads of nice pictures when I get back...

Block 10 Pointy Point Tips

OK, if you hadn’t noticed, those points on Block 10 are super pointy. So now I have a little tutorial for you on how I do these.

First off, it helps to have a magic wand…just kidding…I have had this for years and I use it all the time. This exact model can’t be found any more but there are similar things to be found. Also, cuticle sticks and toothpicks work great.

First, sew right up to your point.

Here I pinch it with my thumb and finger and use my magic wand to push the extra fabric behind.

Sew up to the point keeping a hold of everything with your thumb.

Take a slightly longer stitch at the point.

OK, you still aren’t off the hook, you need to tuck this in with your magic wand.

Then take really tiny stitches all the way around.

Mimi’s Bloomers Block 10- Design Wall Monday

Here it is friends. Thanks for all the well wishes, I feel so much better.

Start your downloads:

Download Block 10

AND be sure to check out Judy's Blog for some Monday Inspiration!

I fought the cold...and the COLD won

Hello all. I don't have Block 10 done. The cold won. Will have it up on Monday.....sorry

Finally Fall

It’s finally fall here. Honest to goodness cold crisp morning fall! I’m a little late to the game here but this November I have a block in the Autumn Block Party hosted by Michele of Quilting Bloggers. I thought these fabric would make a cute fall quilt block…don’t you?

I LOVE my job

Here’s another little job perk I discovered last week. I’m doing some how-to photography this coming week. By this I mean REAL how-to photography, as in me and a professional photographer. Anyway, I needed some fabric from the project this how-to goes in. So I e-mailed the lovely people at RJR and told them what I needed and THIS appeared on my desk a few days later:

Which had this inside it….It’s the Sweet Home collection if you are dying to know:

And then I went home and sewed. SWOON!

Design Wall Monday

OK, due to all the excitement around here, sleep has been a scarce commodity…so now I have a cold. Nothing like a relaxing weekend working on Block 10 for Mimi’s Bloomers to cure it right?

Hopefully I will have this up and ready for downloading this Friday…if my sinuses take over it might be Monday.

Meanwhile, check out all the inspiration on Judy’s Blog.

P.S. Go Broncos!!!!

I Work with AWESOME People

 

Here’s another installment of my series about the terrific staff at McCall’s Quilting. This is my friend and co-worker Sherri Bain Driver. Before I started working at McCall’s admired Sherri’s quilts. Every time I saw one at a quilt show I would kinda scratch my head and say, “How does she do that?”. Sherri is truly a MASTER quilter.

Well last week Sherri had several of her quilts at work and I got my own private show. Here’s Sherri with a couple of her quilts.

Here is a detail of one:

Sherri has done several videos for McCall’s Quilting. You can see her videos on binding here:

Quilt Binding: Joining the Strips

Quilt Binding: Joining the Ends

Quilt Binding: Sewing Binding to Quilt

Quilt Binding: Turning and Handstitching

Her quilt is also on the cover of one of the Feathered Star: New Quilts from an Old Favorite (swoon):

I love my job!

ARGH !!!!!!!

So I finished stitching the appliqué on this little wall hanging. I had to rearrange the flowers and birds a few times so I had some residual glue. It all washed out of the background really nicely but then I noticed this…

I have tried washing this several times and these glue dots are not coming out! This has never happened to me before ARGH!!!!!!!! Will investigate and report.

Note to self...only apply glue to seam allowance until you figure this out.