Exciting News!

I have some exciting news to share...but first a back-story...

Remember my Merry Little Nine Patches quilt that I designed and made?  Well, my Guild wanted me to teach a class for it and I was glad to oblige.  Hey, $100 for a 3-hour class...who would say "no"?  Then I realized that in order to teach the class, I would have to make and sell a pattern for that class.  Let me tell you, I have a totally new appreciation for pattern designers now.  It takes hours and hours and hours of time.  And then you have to recruit a friend or two to make said pattern for testing purposes.  Thank heavens I am blessed with really good friends.  So I design the pattern and I think it turned out really well for a first-timer, so I think to myself...well why not make extra copies (only need 20 for the class), and as people sign up to take the class, those that are unable to take the class can just purchase the pattern if they wish and make it themselves at their leisure.  This went over like hotcakes, as several people had other commitments on the day of the class or were going to be on vacation.  But this isn't the exciting news...

This is where the exciting news comes into play...

Yesterday at our monthly Guild meeting, a woman (new member as indicated on her badge) is at the sign-up table oohing and aahing over my quilt.  Then she sees the patterns.  Then she says, "Do you sell your patterns at wholesale?"  I blink quickly, silently wondering why she is inquiring, and explain that the pattern is my first, mainly written for the quilt class I'm teaching.  She says, "Well, I own a local quilt shop, (names the shop -- which I am familiar with), and I would love to buy some to sell in the shop.  I might also be interested in having you teach a class at my shop as well."  My heart stops!  Is this really happening?!?  I knock a couple bucks off the pattern price, she cuts me a check for the patterns she buys, takes my number for the future (possible class), and I stand there flabbergasted.  She also said if I design any more patterns, to come see her at the shop.  WHAT!?!?  Yes, yes, this really happened to little ole me!

Merry Little Nine Patches Quilt w/Pattern

Different Versions.  A girlfriend/pattern-tester made the aqua and red quilt on the right.  I pattern-tested it myself and made the 30's version on the left.  My original quilt is obviously in the center.  LOL.

My patterns as packaged.

Over the moon,
Suzy

J'Adore

I got my J'Adore quilt back from my girlfriend who quilted it beautifully!  At her suggestion, I cut hearts out of batting using my Accuquilt GO! and the hearts look puffy, sort of like "trapunto".  You can't tell from the picture, but it looks wonderful in person.  I couldn't be happier!  I spent yesterday putting on the binding and the label.  Done!

Heart aflutter,
Suzy

Kit - Spring Bouquet

Last post for the morning.  Edyta Sitar's "Spring Bouquet".  I acquired this kit at the Houston Quilt Festival a couple years ago.  I wanted this kit soooo much and was hoping they would have the entire kit available at the show so I wouldn't have to pay for shipping from an online site.  I lucked out in finding it.  I recently got the matching threads from an online site (can't remember which one) that was having a 40% off sale.  Color me happy!

I can't wait to start making it, but it will be a BIG undertaking.  Even though the shapes are precut, that's A LOT of buttonhole stitching I need to do around ALL those pieces!!!

Suzy

Kit - Butterfly Kisses

Here is another Kit I purchased at the estate sale I mentioned in my previous post.  It is called Butterfly Kisses.  The fabrics are much prettier than pictured through all that wrapping.  I just didn't want to go to all the trouble of taking all of them out.

More technical diffulties with orientation in Google acting up.

Suzy

Kit - Daylily Lattice

More accountability...  This morning I have a few kits to tack to my sidebar.  There will be many more kits and UFOs coming.  Thankfully, I'm all caught up on listing my "Tops Awaiting Quilting".  :o)  Anyway, this kit is called Daylily Lattice.

Sorry about the orientation.
Google seems to be having technical difficulties.  LOL

In December, my girlfriends and I went to the estate sale of a quilter who had just passed.  She was in her late 50's/early 60's.  It was the saddest thing ever to see all the things she had been intending to make or had been working on -- many in an unfinished state.  I nearly cried when I saw the pictures of her grandchildren on top of her workstation; and it made my heart ache to realize that those planned t-shirt sewing/embroidery projects I saw were intended for them and now they are left with only memories.  Really puts life into perspective, doesn't it?

So I bought a few things in the hopes that she is looking down from Heaven to see her fellow quilters bring some of her intended projects to completion.

Suzy

UFO - Bird Applique Block

I found this block in my EQ7 Program and really liked it.  I don't know what it will grow up to be -- a pillow...the center of a quilt...a mini-quilt?  Not sure yet...  I still have to finish buttonhole stitching around the edges of several pieces.  It dates back to probably 2012 or so...

Suzy

UFO - String Blocks - 3-1/2"

Started a batch of 3-1/2" string blocks to try to use up some of my scraps.  I'm in no hurry to figure out what I'll use them for, but they sure are fun to piece.  I imagine there is a project or two or three in the future for these cuties.  Who knows how many I will wind up with when it's all said and done.  Did I mention I have A L-O-T of scraps?

Suzy

Kids Quilt Camp 2013 Quilt Top

The past two years (last year and this coming year) I've missed it due to one reason or another, but previously I've been involved in Kid's Quilt Camp during a week every June.  I began as a volunteer when I moved here to Florida in 2008, and have since graduated to actually teaching classes to the advanced kids (ages 13-16).  This was a quilt top I made for the class I taught in June 2013 when the advanced students not only assembled the quilts, but learned how to use the rotary cutter to sub-cut pieces for said quilt.  They had a blast and were supervised with hawk-eye vision.  Also, anyone who was caught leaving a rotary cutter open was threatened with monetary fines.  Luckily I didn't have to collect any.  I'm a hard taskmaster, but would rather that than an emergency trip to the hospital.  :o) 

There were several different colorways to choose from, not just this one.  I left it unquilted for class so the kids could reference the backside to easily see how blocks and rows were pressed.  Obviously, it has remained unquilted since.  LOL!

By the way, the class was a success and the kids not only had a fun time, but left at the end of the week with at least a completed quilt top, if not completed quilts.  They didn't do binding, but instead "sandwiched" the quilt, making it quick and easy.  They just did straight quilting through the quilt layers.  After all, they are still really beginning quilters, although to be in the "advanced" class they had to have completed two previous Quilt Camp years -- true beginners class (no sewing knowledge at all), and the intermediate class.

Suzy

Heart Wreath Quilt Top

This quilt top has been languishing in the "to be quilted" pile since before I even moved to Florida in December 2008.  I'm sure it even pre-dates 2008 by a few years.  I know, because I did the buttonhole stitching by hand, and I haven't done that by hand for too many years to count now.  By machine is so much faster.  One of the main reasons I did it by hand way back when was because I was working and could take projects with me to work on during my lunch hour.  I'm guessing this is around 2005-2006.  This was also done during my "Thimbleberries" era...it's been awhile.

It hasn't been quilted yet because I keep telling myself it's small enough to quilt myself.  We all know how that works...

Suzy

Citrus Swirl Hexagon Quilt Top

This is my first and only (so far) Hexagon quilt.  I started working on it, oh, probably 4 or more years ago.  I recently finished it this past month.  Now it needs quilting.  I have ideas for the quilting and have even named it already -- Citrus Swirl.  I love it and am now bitten by the hexagon bug.  There will be more in my future, but I am resolved to only do one at a time to completion.  Since the piecing is all by hand, it takes years (on and off) and I only want one hexie UFO at a time laying around.  I love that they are portable and that I can work on it anywhere...

Citrus Swirl was a "fly by the seat of your pants" quilt top -- no idea of how it would end up.  But I think it came out great.  :o)

I have an idea swirling around in my head for my next hexie project and it starts with this...

which I designed in EQ7.  I call it "Daisy Daze".  I think I'll be adding a row or two of the red hexies to the top and bottom to give it a more finished look.  Although I'm also toying with the idea of a row of single "daisies" at the top and bottom instead.  We'll see when we get there.  I haven't even started this one yet...

Suzy

Jelly Roll Race Quilt Top

This is my Jelly Roll Race quilt top.  The center was done at our Guild's first yearly Gathering this past March.  We had a ton of fun.  If you want to read more on that, just look here.

I am totally loving the border I put on it.  I have to say it totally makes a boring quilt pop.  Very happy and cheerful.  This one, along with my Floral Intrigue quilt, are going to the longarmer's on Tuesday.  I'm sure I'll be posting once they are both quilted and bound.  Look for more then...

Suzy

Pastel Tumbler Quilt Top

Okey dokey.  Here is the first of many blog posts on my outstanding projects.  This one is my Pastel Tumbler Quilt Top.  It is waiting in line to be quilted.  It will be sent to my longarmer hopefully in the near future.  We need to budget these things and other tops have taken precedence over this one.  :o)  Or maybe I'll just donate it to one of our Guild's charities.  Time will tell...

This quilt top is several years old (probably 2010 or thereabouts) and came about when I purchased the large Tumbler Die from Accuquilt.  It was a breeze to cut and fast and fun to piece.  Originally, I was thinking of making a border or two for it, but I like it how it is.  I used lots and lots of my pastel stash/scraps in this one.  I'm hoping to make more Tumbler quilts in the future.  There's plenty of stash and scraps to do so, that's for sure!

Suzy

Getting My Ducks in a Row

So...after realizing I've been neglectful in documenting my UFO and Kit lists, I've decided to update them.  Picasa has been giving me headaches as of late anyway, which is one of the reasons I haven't been on top of things in this regard.  So what I've decided to do is actually do a blog post for each UFO/Kit and have my list entry directly link to the blog post, rather than to a picture in Picasa.  That way I, too, can easily see what I have and can choose (and peruse) them directly through my blog, rather than scrounging though my closets.  If I have a backstory, I'll note that in the blog post, as well.  This getting older thing is wreaking havoc on my memory anyway.  LOL.

So over the course of the next several days (weeks?) you will see NUMEROUS blog entries.  Don't be afraid...go into the light.  Just kidding....

You may or may not be interested in my blog entries during this timeframe, but if you are curious, feel free to gawk and laugh at my insanity.  I won't mind.  If you want to comment, I won't mind that either.

Let the craziness commence,
Suzy

A Kit From My Caboodle

Lord only knows how many kits I have tucked away amidst my vast stash.  I've got several posted on my blog's sideline; however, I'm ashamed to say I've acquired several more since I've updated that list.  Floral Intrigue is one of them...

When I went into my UFO/Kit closet, this one was staring me right in the face.  I knew it was a super quick and easy one, so I grabbed it before I could even second-guess myself and ran with it.  I cut, I pieced, I sewed and sewed and sewed.  I was done in a day and a half.

Here is the top:

And here is the top with the backing:

It measures 56" x 72".  The backing is a Kaffe Fasset fabric that was in my deep stash.  Hooray!  No additional fabric purchases for this one!  The binding is in the baggie -- scrappy from the fabrics leftover from the top.

It will be going to my longarmer in the next few days.

One more down,
Suzy