Morning Workout

At Christmas I bought myself the Tony Little Glider. I couldn't help myself. One late evening after being stuffed with Christmas goodies I ordered it from the shopping channel. They know how vulnerable you are.
Well I have to tell you I am pleasantly surprised. I love this machine. It doesn't hurt my knees, I feel like I get a really good workout AND it doesn't require electricity or me leaving the house. It comes with three DVDs for different workouts and Tony is actually fun to work out with. Besides which while I am working out my mind wanders and I organize my day. Healthy mind and body all in one "little" package!

Decorative Blades

Last night I had a dinner party. My church has a social group called "Circle Supper". Each month a different set of four couples or singles meets at one members home and has a pot luck. This social gathering is a way for church members to mingle outside of church and get to know people they may not normally chat with after services. It is almost always a fun night and broadens the attachments of friendships at church.

I was getting ready and preparing my appetizer to put out when I wished that I had a dollie to put in the bottom of my tray, when it dawned on me that I could make one. I placed a paper towel in the bottom of my tray and with a marker marked around the circle shape on the bottom. I then ran downstairs to my studio and using one of the many decorative rotary cutters I have, cut around the circle. Wa-la, a dollie ready made to fit the exact bottom of my tray. It worked like a charm and I was very happy to place my cheese toast on top.

Morale of the story is that all our tools need not be used for sewing alone!! we are creative people.

Spring Snow

It snowed AGAIN yesterday. Just when I thought spring was here, we get 2" of snow!!!! I can smell spring when I am out walking with George. I just need to see spring soon.

The daffodils against my house are up and I can see the tulips in the garden are up, but it will be several

weeks before they begin to bloom.

There are buds on the magnolia bush at the front of my house and birds chirping in the trees, the robins are back and the cardinals are out signing their hearts out looking for mates I assume. I want to see the green tinge on all the trees and not have to bundle up when I walk the dog. This winter has seemed really long.

Maybe it is being in the basement all day, desperately dyeing fabric for the two shows that are upcoming, But I need SPRING!!

It's only Fabric!!!

This is a sign I have up in my studio to remind me to use up all my fabric. It's only Fabric was made by Tommy Fitzsimmons and was a gift.

It is my mantra. You know I have three sons and if there is any fabric left at my death they will give it all away, and maybe not to other quilters, maybe to just the good will. I want to use the fabrics I have and not deed them to someone else's use!!

Sleeve Pleat

I am always amazed at how many people ask about my sleeve pleat. It is one of my pet peeves that sleeves be wide enough on the backs of our quilted pieces to allow them to be hung with ease and not create a bulge at the top of the quilt when they are hung. By adding in a little pleat on the sleeve they will hang nice and flat on the wall. Here is an easy way to create a pleat in your sleeves.

Begin with a piece of fabric that is at least 1.5-2 inches longer than your squared up top width. Cut it at least 9-10 inches wide. Take this to your ironing surface and on each of the short ends, the width of the sleeve, fold up 1/2 inch and press, fold this in on itself again 1/2" and press. Top stitch the two folded ends down.

Fold your sleeve in half length wise, matching the top unsewn edge, and press well.

Fold the front top edge 1/2" past the top of the back edge and press again. This will create a second crease running along the whole width of the sleeve underneath the first crease.

Realign the two top edges even with each other and with a 1/4" seam allowance sew this to the squared up back side top edge of your guilt.

I also put my label on the sleeve before I sew it to my quilt. I print my labels on fused plain fabric with the fusible paper still on the fabric. I then run the paper backed fused fabric through the ink jet printer. I print all the information I want to include on the label and then sign it with a permanent marker. I then remove the paper and cut the labels out with a decorative rotary blade. I center this on the back of my sleeve and fuse it in place. Finally I top- stitch around the label.

I will now bind my quilt. Once the quilt is bound I will fold up the sleeve to the second crease mark and pin it to the quilt back and hand stitch along the second crease line to secure my sleeve to the back of the quilt. When a rod is inserted into the sleeve it will not rest on my quilt surface and when hung it will not pull the top away from the sleeve. This method is simple and easy. I hope you give it a try.

It's Good to be Green

Larkin Van Horn curated a show entitled " It's Good to Be Green" This is a close up of the my quilt "It's Good to Be Green" that is part of this fantastic exhibit. You can check it all out on Terry Grant's blog.

Winter Forest

I have been on the road so much in the last 3 weeks, I don't know if I blogged this new quilt. It is entitled "Winter Forest" and is about 35" x 25". The background behind the trees is silk and the rest is a yard of cotton graded from lime to violet. It has already been traveling and will travel again in a few weeks when it goes off to the Denver National Quilt Festival May 1-4. The Chicago School of Fusing will have a traveling exhibit at this show. So if you are in the area you should check it out. Mancuso's always have a great show.

Yesterday I was walking in the woods with George and really enjoying the fact that spring was on it's way. I saw and heard the robins, which is always a good sign, and then this morning we get an inch of snow. Of fickle weather. The paper this morning says the latest known snow fall was recorded in June of 1910. Let's hope this year doesn't go that far with snow still coming down.

On a positive note. I discovered the most wonderful new product. Puffs Kleenex has a new line with Vick's added to it. Just a hit of the wonderful smelling nose clearer upper. I feel in love while dealing with this last terrible cold. Check it out the next time you get a sniffle.

Ramona Bayma took my SUN DANCE class at the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show and this is the quilt top she made from class. It is wonderful and she used the great Maderia 30 wt thread to quilt it with. Way to go Ramona!!

Franklin TN

Doesn't this just look so great, rocking chairs on the porch. At the Franklin TN Quilt guild I taught machine quilting and a new class Dancing Trees. We had a great time. At lunch on the first day going outside to a warm sunny day was such a treat. And the view was spectacular.

These guys were enjoying the sun too. This little creek, or maybe river ran right behind the building were we had our class. These gals know how to enjoy life. Thanks to Stephanie for arranging the trip and taking such good care of me.

Indiana HeritageQuilt Show

One of the my class's at the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show in Bloomington IN last week was SunDance. Here are two of the variations that woman made using this design. This first one was by Yannaka and she used my background fabric and her own marbled fabrics with some batiks. One of the batiks had little dots in it which added a great zing to the flowers. Then these gals, all sisters and a new daughter in law who was not a quilter until a year ago!!!( there's hope for my new daughter in law to be), made this variation using my fabrics and a black background. What a fun quilt this was. We had a great time in class. However I did pick up the cold that was floating around and wound up being horse and sick at my next gig in TN. (Sorry I didn't call Mel I could barely talk.!)
The other teachers in IN were all taking AIRBORNE, I guess I will start trying that , yet one more thing to remember, to try and stay well while I travel. It is no fun sounding like an adolescent teen boy while giving your lecture.