The good, the bad and the ugly

The good… while I’m still hibernating, (it’s fall, and as usual, I’m desperately home/farmsick), I did finally do a bit of sewing.  I’ve been ignoring my sewing machines along with the computer!

First… the pink and green toddler quilt I started a couple of months ago, made two blocks, and quit.  I woke up at three o’clock this morning and decided to finish piecing it.

Excuse the wet spots, my iron decided to spit up all over it.  Maybe I’ll even quilt the darn thing next week!

Last week, I went to my guild retreat.  It was two days of intensive sewing… I had to go to the chiropractor the next day!  Carol Ann Wilbourn came and taught us her “Quilt by the Mile” method, she was amazing!  However, I have to warn you, if you take one of her workshops, be prepared sew until your fingers bleed!  LOL

Carol Ann is an incredible fiber artist, you have to check out her blog for some of her work.  This is waaaaaayyy outside my box, I tend to favor traditional quilts in traditional colors, but this was so intriguing I had to give it a whirl. 

I have yet to starch and press my fabric and all 9 gazillion little seams open, but you get the general idea.

I believe there is roughly one hundred different fabrics here, all batiks, cut into teensy, weensy, like OMG it took forever to sew them all together tiny) little pieces.

The point was to created a new piece of yardage.  I intend to use this as a background fabric for a wild life applique… either a giraffe or a lion, I haven’t decided which yet.

A close up of the newly created fabric.

Okay that was the good.

I forgot what the bad was… must not have been too awful.

The ugly?

While at the retreat, when I went to lift my Bernina 630 out of the suitcase system, the handle came loose on one side.  I didn’t drop it, but I lost control of lifting it enough that it rocked back into the suitcase, breaking off the spool holder entirely.  I think I’ll see if my dealer will just send me the part and I’ll let Jim fix it… this is a terrible time of year to be without a sewing machine!

Well of course I have the 830 too, but I freak out at the thought of being down one machine.  A girl really needs three machines doesn’t she?

Okay, I’m back to hibernating.  I’ll post again if I accomplish anything.  Don’t hold your breath.

Totally in awe!

I have had the most wonderful day!  It’s too darn bad I can’t have my house in the country and have a big city full of quilt shops, classes and teachers nearby, because I was simply in awe today!

At our quilt guild meeting this morning, we had two guest speakers.  One was a fellow longarm quilter from a couple towns over that is very popular with the quilters here.  She is the nicest lady, and I really enjoyed her presentation.  She quilts on a computerized HQ Avante, and brought it along to let the guild members play on it today!  How cool is that?

The other guest speaker was Carol Ann Wilbourn, inventor of the “Quilt by the Mile” method.  What an amazing artist!  You all know I’m not into bright fabrics, but her quilts changed my mind, they were so incredibly beautiful!  Take a look through her Picassa Gallery if you have some free time.  She will be coming back in October to our guild retreat, and I TOTALLY can’t wait!

I had to leave a bit early to make it to my (woohoo, first quilt class!) lonestar class today.  What fun!  The teacher was a blast and I met two other gals that seemed super nice.  We’re using the “flip and sew” method, utilizing the Quiltsmart foundation patterns.  I gotta say, I found it very hard to get my act together in a class environment!

I kept tripping over my cords, I forgot the snap on table for my Bernina 630… ever try to piece without a table?  Eep!  I spent most of my time ripping my seams back out, but once I got home and back to a normal setup, it’s coming along beautifully, whew!

Last but not least, by being gone all day I didn’t eat the entire box of Godiva truffles.  LOL