Thursday, April 28, 2016

Quiltport USA 2016! Part One


Why is Marion smiling? Because we're about to enter the vendor mall!
Last Thursday we headed up to Quiltport USA in Freeport, Maine for a weekend of debauchery. Just kidding, it was a weekend of quilting, shopping and eating. That's about as wild as we get...

We had breakfast at Isabella's Sticky Buns every day (and lunch too).
Yes, it's that good.
The cinnamon rolls are almost as big as your head! We all brought some home.
I even shared with Mike. I must really love that guy!
We celebrated Sue's birthday. Happy Birthday Sue!
Okay, we celebrated Sue's birthday twice...
We all got our sewing machines cleaned!
I got my pedicure--purple with sparkles. Sue got a pedicure too.
We also got to spend some time with Ginny and Nancy Q.
From left to right: me, Marion, Sue, Ginny, Joannie, and Nancy Q.
A good time was had by all! Thanks to my newest roving blog photography assistant Sue for any photo in which I appear!

Thanks for visiting!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

A Quick Fix

Sometimes you just want to sew something in a single evening that results in a finished project. This was one of those nights. The Sweetpea Pods pattern by Lazy Girl Designs has been all over the Internet lately, so I thought I would give it a try.
Here are my two Sweetpea Pods. I added pretty zipper pulls to both as well as a ribbon loop to the second bag on the left.
Here's my pattern review. Please note that I purchased this pattern with my very own money.

Overall, the pattern is quick to make, however I add a word of warning that it is not for the faint of heart. You must summon your courage and deliberately remove the zipper pull from your zipper and then put it back on. Although the pattern author claims this is easy, I beg to disagree. You need to have good eyesight as well as manual dexterity to get that little bugger back on the zipper tape. Once your zipper pull is back on, it is a neat feature and it allows you to get two bags from a single zipper (you need a second zipper pull, which can be purchased separately).

Joan Hawley's pattern has excellent directions and photographs of the various steps. The pattern only needs a ten inch square of fabric, lining, and fusible fleece and it yields two bags. The inside of the bag has raw edges that are covered with a zig zag stitch.

I think my little bags are kind of homely, but my husband Mike liked them. They are small. They would probably be useful to hold a small pair of ear buds, or some candy or some lip balm.
Here's my artsy shot. The rotary cutter in the foreground is the large 60mm size.
Have you made one of these? Do you have any tips on adding the zipper pull?

Linking up on Tuesday to Freemotion by the River. Linking up on Friday to Confessions of a Fabric Addict. Thanks for visiting!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy

Friday, April 22, 2016

Quilt Projects New and Old

I bought a small kit at Appletree Fabrics during Joannie's Birthday Road Trip two weeks ago. And last weekend, I actually made it!

Here it is:
Voila! A finished project.
This little batik beauty is billed as a Portfolio. It zips at the top and it also has a large patch pocket on the front. For those of you who constantly want to know how long it took, I actually timed myself, and this project took me two hours. The portfolio was easy to make and it used a really neat zipper insertion technique (the zipper is sewn into a fold of the fabric) that I've never tried before. There is no pattern, just a sheet of directions that the Shop created to sell with the kit.

This weekend, as you're reading this, I will be in Maine with Marion, Sue, and Joannie at a quilt retreat in Freeport. I've booked a massage and a pedicure, as well as a cleaning for my machine. So we will all be pampered and pretty. And in between princess treatments, my project of choice is an ancient, unfinished oldie from my quilting archives...
Four blocks done (and only 26 more to go)...
I started this project in a class with Charlotte Angotti at the Houston Quilt Festival in 2002. The only reason that I know the date is because Charlotte wrote it on her teaching handout. There is even an actual photograph included in the package. If I manage to finish the remaining 26 blocks for the center this weekend (highly doubtful), I've brought along the optional border kit with 44 more star blocks! Perhaps now you understand why this little beauty fell to the wayside...
Here is my handsome LarryPug all snug on the couch atop two pillows and a blanket. Doesn't he look comfortable? LarryPug says "Pugs are a lot like pillows, you can never have too many!"
Linking up on Tuesday to Freemotion by the River. Linking up on Friday to Confessions of a Fabric Addict. Thanks for visiting!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Celebrating Silver, Part 2

While this post contains my remaining photos from Celebrating Silver as well as some photos from Be Creative, it is actually the 4th in the series but the blog titles were getting quite long! If you would like to see the photos from some of the other quilt exhibits at the Worcester Sewing Expo, here is Part 1Part 2 and Part 3.

Below are three stunning pictorial quilts from Celebrating Silver.
Beginnings by Jennifer Day
A close-up
Angel of Silver by Wendi Bucey
A close-up
Precious Time by Mary Pal
Be Creative was a fun exhibit. Participants were given a bundle of fabric to use. No quilter credits or quilt titles were listed in this part of the show. What a beautiful variety. They are so different, yet they are all made from the same fabric!





 Here's one more quilt from Celebrating Silver.
Lunar Portal by Patricia Malarcher
A close-up
Thanks for visiting!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Worcester Sewing Expo, Part 3 Celebrating Silver

Celebrating Silver was a gorgeous exhibit. I took so many photos, I'm going to break it into two parts. If you would like to see the photos from some of the other quilt exhibits at the Worcester Sewing Expo, here is Part 1 and Part 2.

Silver Eruption by Margaret Fabrizio
A close-up
Flowers and Champagne Streams by Tiziana Tateo
A close-up
Reflection -- World Trade Center by Jean Renli Jurgenson
A close-up
Upward and Onward by Bonnie J. Smith
A close-up
Ciel D'Argent by Judith Trager
A close-up
Two-Five by Maria C. Shell
A close-up
Silver Cake by Jeannie Moore
A close-up
Moonshine by Elena Stokes
A close-up
Passing the Torch to the Future by Roseline Young
A close-up
Silver Abstractions by Marianne R. Williamson
A close-up

More to come! Thanks for visiting!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy

Monday, April 18, 2016

More Exhibits from the Worcester Sewing & Quilt Expo

Hello Dear Blog Readers,

Here are some more photos from Joannie's birthday road trip to the Worcester Sewing & Quilt Expo. Part 1 of the exhibits can be read here.

This post includes photos from Dare to Dance and Fall Leaves.

I only took two photos from the Dare to Dance exhibit because I was getting tired. The exhibit was beautiful and it was put together by Mary Kerr who published the quilts in her book, Dare to Dance: An Art Quilt Challenge.

Mr. Wiggles Does the Circle Dance by Sarah Ann Smith
Obviously my favorite quilt in the ENTIRE show!


Mr. Wiggles in all his glory.
Square Dance by Marge Hotz
Below are some photos from the Fall Leaves Quilt Challenge which was sponsored by Wisconsin Public Television and Nancy Zieman. Nancy is the TV host of Sewing with Nancy, that she co-produces on Wisconsin Public Television. She is also the owner of Nancy's Notions. I'm a fan and a shopper!

I took the photo below especially for my Mom who loves to paint and is particularly fond of street scenes in the rain. Perhaps this will inspire her next painting.
A Walk in the Park by Pennee Clanton.
A close-up
Sun-Kissed September by Nancy Zieman.
A close-up
Fall Transition by Terri Sankovitz
Harvesting Sunshine by Mary Alice Hart. The figure in this quilt is actually stepping out of the quilt!
A close-up
More to come! Thanks for visiting!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy