Shop Hopping!

Here I am shop hopping with my dear friend Thimblelina.  Actually she is a permanent fixture at Thimble Town in Visalia, CA.  The second annual Central Valley Shop Hop started today so I visited my favorite quilt store to visit friends and, of course, to buy some fabric.

Here is Jeremy, the owner, out front greeting visitors.  The theme for the store today was Carnival.  For our enjoyment there were frito boats, popcorn and snow cones.  We got a great goodie bag also.  Thank you, Jeremy!  He's the greates!.  There is so much new fabric it is overwhelming.  More was coming in while I was there.  Their selection of batiks is the best I have ever seen.  I think Thimble Towne has to have the biggest selection of fabric in the Valley.  If you haven't been there you need to go!  The shop hop goes thru Sunday, but you can go by anytime.  Warning, you will not come out of there empty handed!

At each store you can pick up a pattern for each of the blocks in this quilt.  I like the way Jeremy put this quilt together.  I won't be making the quilt since I only went to Thimble Towne and then Quilters Quarters in Hanford. 

Now for some finished work.  This is the table runner I made for Katrina to take to Iowa when they go to stay with Eric's family this June.  I hope they like it.  I do.  I used just what I had and that is why I have a stash.  But after making this I decided to clean out my stash so I am cutting 5, 3 1/2 and 2 1/2 inch square from anything that is smaller than a fat quarter and giving away stuff I don't think I will ever use.  I don't know if I will use these squares but I can always give them away.

Family

Keira (3), Daniel (1), Ephram (5), and Becky (3)

 

Lexi (2) with her Grandpa Jo (Robinson in Penn.)

 

We celebrated Ephram's 5th birthday and Becky's 3rd birthday Sunday at our house.

Here they are with their ice cream cakes.  Just because we celebrated together doesn't mean they don't get their own cakes.  (I made them take the rest home!  Too tempting!)

We bought Ephram his first big boy bike.  He was a little afraid to ride it but I hear by the time he got home he thought it was the best present he received.  You better take care of it, Ephram, and wear your helmet. 

Today I'm feeling a little at odds with myself.  Maybe it's because I only got about 4 hours of sleep last night but maybe it's because I am not sure where my focus in my quilting life and quilting friendships are right now.  Things have been changing and I feel as though I am drifting away and sometimes I feel like I am the odd man out.  Talk of retreats, get togethers, sewing day, Party Party, Shop hops, Quilt shows and road trips circle around me and I seem not to have a connection with any of it anymore.  Maybe I'm just feeling sorry for myself and a little overwhelmed but no one really reads these things anyways so I will just write to feel better.  I have just quit working at my secretary job and have gotten my schedule for teaching and realized I won't have much money.  I didn't get all the classes I wanted but then again I wanted more time at home to work on developing into an artist (that's suppose to be my goal) so why am I complaining.  It must be a hormone thing. I did have a nice lunch with my three sister-in-laws yesterday. Thanks a lot for noticing I lost 60 lbs. (That's sarcasm for not noticing but I guess it's not apparent yet since I have so much further to go!)

I guess I should get back to the studio.  I'm going to make a table runner for Katrina to take back to Iowa this June for the family they are staying with.  Maybe some mindless quilting and a Jesse Stone movie will help my spirits.

But I have to leave you with this picture of Stephen helping his son ride his bike.  Is there anything  more precious than this.  So stop complaining, Anna, and get to work!

Loose Threads Current Project

I missed last months meeting due to a board meeting but Janice taught Thread Painting on water soluble stabilizer and gave us the word "Rejoice" to put into a quilt.  Well, I don't see the point in doing it on stabilizer when you can do it directly on the fabric.  But I did it anyways.  After seeing Janice's and Karen's I can now see when this technique can come in handy.  I forgot to take a picture of Grace's butterflies she made but when she gets it into a quilt, I hope to take a picture of it.  I'm trying to remember to take my camera and use it so I will have pictures for my blog.  Maybe it will be more interesting to more people.

Barbara Sawyer did hers directly on the fabric.

Barbara Sindlinger made a little one (about 6" x 6")

Janice Minyard suspended hers in the center (open all the way through)



Karen Taber layered hers with chiffon and inserted free floating stars.




This is Sara Kelly's which she did not put into a quilt.




But Sara decided to cut up some blocks she had and make a new quilt out of them.




And here is mine. 
This wasn't the original orientation and I planned on having more beads on it but I guess this is the way it is going to stay.  Have to change the sleeve on the back!



Loose Threads Waves and Tucks

Barbara Sindlinger



Grace Hoya




Karen Taber




Sara Kelly




Mine which you have already seen.
Next time you see this it will be different.  It was decided at group last night that the "tassels" don't work.  All those hours and hours of beading.  Out of some brain storming, a differnt option was agreed upon which means more beading and a lot more beads.  Jeff's not going to like that because I need to order yet more beads.  I sure hope this is worth it.



Grace's Birthday Strips from Loose Threads



From Janice Minyard




From Karen Tabor




From Me




From Barbara Sindlinger




From Barbara Sawyer




From Sara Kelly and this is the only one I can remember the title to: "Wine in the Garden"

Happy Birthday, Grace!

Something to Show!

I finished my wave quilt.  It's called "Tsunami Ripples".  Hours and hours of beading.

I also finished this travel bag I am going to teach.

The classes are finally on Thimble Towns Website.  It's a great website!

Remember all the fabric coasters I was making last fall for my daughters' Mop Group.  Well, hear are the rest of them.  I hope the ladies like these.  They receive a set of four and some other things for their birthdays. I wish I could remember how many I made in all.  It should be around 100 sets.  There are 24 sets here.

Now I have to get started on our next Loose Threads project but today is "run around town and get everything done at once so you don't have to spend more money on gas" day.

Radomness

This is part of the entry to the Museum of Art in Bakersfield, CA.  It is absolutely gorgeous!  This is only part of it.  We went to see the California Fiber Artists exhibit that my friend Sara's work is in.  It was an amazing exhibit and we really enjoyed ourselves.

Here is Sara with one of two pieces she had in the show.  I believe this is the one which sold.  The artist side of me wants to be Sara when I grow up. (The wild side of me wants to be "Abbey" from NCIS when I grow up.)

You all know what a Jelly Roll is?  Well, my granddaughter got a hold of this one and when I asked her what she did she said it was a present!  So, she opened it!

Well, the huge quilt for Jeremy is done and I can't  show you it yet.  When he gets it quilted and hanging in the store I will post a picture.  Meanwhile, here is what I am working on now.  Can any of you from Loose Threads venture a guess?