September 15, 2009

Machine Quilters! Are You Following this Blog?

Do you love, love to machine quilt? If you do then I hope you are following Leah Day's blog on a daily basis.

Leah started quilting a new free motion design every day and plans to introduce a new free motion design for 365 days! That's quite a challenge! Can she do it? Stay tuned in and find out! Today is Day 32!

Here is the link to Leah's Blog

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/

She is very inventive with her beautiful quilting designs, and usually has videos of her free motioning. It's fun to check in each day and see what she has come up with! Inspiring!


September 11, 2009

We Will Never Forget



As I woke up and stretched and splashed some water on my face, and made a beeline for the coffee, and looked out at the peaceful morning while it steamed and the wonderful aroma of morning coffee filled the kitchen and I took that first sip I glanced at the calender and remembered what day this is. How sometimes it feels like only yesterday this horrific event happened, and how sometimes it seems so long ago and I almost feel like maybe it really didn't happen---like a bad dream. But, then I know I will not forget---and my thoughts wander to to the day it happened. Sept. 11, 2001.

It probably started just like my day for so many families getting ready for work. Children getting back to school, on a balmy Sept. morning and I remember and say a prayer for all the survivors, their families and the brave firefighters.

We shall not forget you and all that you did on that memorable day.





September 08, 2009

New Mat, new Muslin, new Markers

I've been replacing rotary blades more often than not lately. I just couldn't figure it out. Skipping cuts, not cutting. So, I started looking at my cutting mat. An Olfa. I date my mats when I buy a new one---well, I hadn't bought a new mat since 1999!!! No wonder it felt flat, hard--almost brittle. I was cutting on a "dead mat". I mean it had no bounce at all...rotary blades need some cush to cut like they should. Wow, what a difference...when was the last time you bought a new cutting mat?

I got this new Fiskers double sided one on sale at JoAnn. 50% off sale last week. I have the yellow side showing, the other side is mint green. Nice!



Yesterday I went back to JoAnns because believe it or not, (I could hardly believe it myself!)---I had NO MUSLIN! What is a quilter without muslin? Shameful I think, especially since I told Mary I was going to start a String Quilt for her String Quilt Project. The base for the string quilts is muslin! I could have used an old sheet I suppose, but I still believe a quilter should not be without a stash of Muslin, somewhere in her sewing room! :o)

I mean not a smidgeon of it anywhere. So, I stocked up on nice Kona Muslin, and also some of the less expensive stuff too.

I checked out the sale on air and water soluble marking pens too. I used up my last blue wash out on the whole cloth quilt. Picked up a few other goodies too.

Fairfield 80/20 Queen size batt on sale for another. I've never used this brand of 80/20 packaged batting before! Feels softer than Hobbs. Anyone used this?

The Snuggle flannel was on sale, so that lavender purple print on the bottom of the muslin stack is for the baby quilt I just finished. I love flannel backed quilts! Especially for babies! :o)


September 04, 2009

Quilt Tops

I finished piecing these two quilt tops---but I don't want to sit and quilt them. I'm going to wait for the new long arm to arrive instead.