Mr. Snoopy Conrad

Whenever I print, Conrad comes from wherever he is and watches the paper print out. Sometimes he stands on the table next to the printer and peers in, waiting for the paper to start coming out. The other night he jumped up on top. I have that shelf there because Smokey always likes sitting on the printer while I work on the computer. She doesn't really pay attention to the printing, but she is 10so has probably gotten used to it.

Plus now she has her other favorite spot....

which I don't like, and sometimes just pick her up and move her, but she keeps trying.

I spent yesterday taking Mom and Dad to Harlan for Mom's chemo appt. Dad and I did some shopping, as there isn't room to stay and keep her company during the treatment.

I have more class prep work to do today, but might be be able to make it to the quilting room today to finish that Twister quilt. It's a beautiful morning here so a great day to be outside as well.

Paperwork day...ugh!

 I spent Monday sewing with a couple friends. I hung some class displays at the store first, and then put the borders on the Circle and Spin Quilt. I really love these fabrics! Now to get it quilted...may not happen for awhile.

I spent Tuesday doing some paperwork that I needed to do so I can get the rest of my fall class schedule posted. Most of the day was spent writing a pattern. I also worked on a couple of supply sheets....are you yawning yet? Yea, not too exciting.

Dianne finished her butterfly quilt Monday, that border really brings out the color of the butterflies.

Later today I am going to my folks' house...going to spend the night and take Mom to her chemo appt. on Thurs. 

More retreat pix

 As I look through the pix I took, I realize we got lots accomplished! Not that I doubted it, but you really see it when you  look at the quilts. Above is Cindy's disappearing nine patch. Such playful fabrics.

 Rose worked on a twister flag. Love twister quilts!

Rose also finished her version of the Spiraling Out Sampler. She was worried about the alternate block colors, but we thought it was awesome!

 Here it is all finished. Pat also worked on her purple Twister....

 Also finished!

 Dianne liked Cindy's disappearing nine patch so much, she started one of her own!

 Kim worked on this cute snowman out of some of the fabrics in her new shop. Tell her hi and "like" her facebook page. They will have online shopping eventually as well.

 Cindy started a kitty Turning Twenty on the last day. The fabrics are so pretty!

 She also made a Twister, but I forgot to take a before picture.

 Dianne was having trouble getting her butterflies to fly right, but they turned out pretty too. Our seventh friend came Friday afternoon, and I didn't get very good pix of her.

She is admiring Dianne's quilt here, lovely ponytail. Below she is hiding behind her hand....she really isn't all that bashful! I have another picture of her with the quilt she worked on, but I can't post it as it is a gift. 

 I worked on a new version of the Circle and Spin too. I didn't have the border fabric yet, so couldn't finish the top...but I got it yesterday and finished it so I will post pix tomorrow.

I made these cute potholders that I had cut out another day out of fabric leftovers. 

 This is another beautiful snowman quilt that Kim made. It is much prettier in person, soft blues and browns.

 We stopped at a cute gift/fabric shop in Atlantic, Something for You,  and I had to have this fabric! Since I didn't know what I would use it for, I just got enough to make a pillow case. I will get to enjoy it more that way than waiting for a project to use it in. So I made it... just to make sure I got it finished! I also got a book that intrigued me.

I started a new Sampler quilt on the retreat, not ready to post pictures of that yet.

Yesterday I went to the store and hung some models, then finished the Circle and Spin quilt. I have lots planned for today, as I have more paperwork to get ready so that I can post more fall classes. Plus I still have 2 patterns to write...they don't just write themselves, unfortunately. And let's not forget the Twister quilt...it's still up there on the quilting machine waiting for me to finish it. Guess I'd better go get busy!

Ahhhh....retreat.....

 Going on a retreat with friends is so enjoyable. Nothing like sewing and chatting to make the time fly! Here we are ready to play our first dice game for fat quarters.

 Kim finished her Sampler #12, though she changed it to include the IA Hawk!

 Cindy is busy, busy, busy...

 Dianne sewed on all the little pockets to this countdown to Christmas quilt.

 Rose finished her Carpenter Wheel Sampler.

 Pat and Kim sewing!

 Rose kept making deadlines for us...she kept us up very late the first night so she could finish her project!

We went through lots of blades during this retreat...

 My first project was a new version of the Peas in a Pod quilt for an upcoming class I'm teaching at Cut Up and Quilt. I will still be teaching most of my classes at Hancock, but plan to teach a couple at the new quilt shop.

Pat took a picture of five of us with our quilt shirts on. 

Our 7th friend came Friday about noon. More pix tomorrow!

More quilting, wouldn't you think I'd get caught up?

 I spent some time quilting the Twister quilt on Wednesday. I decided to change the panto to Feather Me, another of my favorites. I thought the big loopy feathers would compliment the angles of the twister pinwheels.

 I have to be really careful with this panto, because sometimes you can sort of start to zone out and forget which way around the circle in the center you are going. oops! That would never happen to me, right?

 The back of this quilt isn't as colorful as the front, but I am using a variegated bright thread, so some of that will show. You can see the back rolling over the bar that I have already quilted. I have a gold-ish with green flecks batik that looks really nice with it and the front to use for the binding.

 Smokey likes to hang out with me while I quilt. She is sitting under the table...she sleeps through the noise of the machine. Not sure how. I can't let Conrad in while I quilt, he doesn't realize it's not safe to prance around on the table while I am using the machine.

Cut Up and Quilt!

There will be another quilt shop in my world next month...Cut Up and Quilt is opening in Council Bluffs! The owners are busy trying to get everything finished in time for a Sept. 1 opening. What is even more exciting to me is that the owners are friends of mine...in fact you could say if it wasn't for me, they wouldn't be opening a shop because I introduced them! 

Here is the shop front, located right off Highway 6 across from Fareway. Their sign has been ordered, but hasn't arrived yet. 

I stopped by the other day and the carpeting was being laid, so this photo is pre-carpet. You can see that it will be a nice shop. They will have a classroom as well as long arm quilting services. There will even be a man cave with a 42" tv in it, so your hubby will WANT to go fabric shopping with you.

 Kim has been taking deliveries at her house, so when you walk in, it looks like a fabric store....

 Then head out to her garage and see her husband busy at work on fixtures for the shop. What a great guy!

Now Kim started a facebook page the other day for the shop so if you go over and "like" her page, it would give her a big boost! Tell her I sent you!

I am heading to my retreat today, so hope to have lots of projects and pix for you when I get back. If I can, I will post from the retreat. I will have my kindle fire, but I haven't tried posting to my blog from it before, so we'll see if it works.

Bindings finished = quilts finished + retreat prep

 Binding day was successful! I got all 3 quilts bound. I still have to write the pattern for this one and the Cathedral Windows pillows. Then I might be ready to post some fall classes!

 You are probably getting tired of this quilt, but I really love it. I think Marci Baker is a genius for figuring out how to do this using strip piecing methods! Plus I'm really happy to have it finished.

I'm so glad to have this finished, since it's been aging as a top for several years.  I need to learn from this photo...note to self: get down even with the middle, so that the quilt bottom doesn't look smaller.

Today I want to do some quilting on the Twister quilt...and get things packed and ready to go on my retreat. I have some projects ready, but need to figure out a couple more, just in case. I would hate to run out of things to work on! We are leaving tomorrow.  We do all of our own cooking, each of us signing on to make a meal and bring snacks, so I have some enchiladas to make today as well.

Lots of people ask me about the retreats I go on. We came up with this one night during a quilt class...talking about how much fun it would be to go on a retreat and then planning it. We found a bed and breakfast, Harrisdale Homestead,  that we rent about an hour away, and there's plenty of room to set up to sew. We take over the place, cooking our own meals and sewing and chatting into the wee hours. We work on our own projects, though sometimes we plan ahead to make the same projects. It's just fun to get away from home and spend some quality quilting time with friends!