Wednesday, August 31, 2011

New quilt for my yellow obsession!


I painted my walls a light yellow even though in this photo it looks like a dark yellow. That is all I needed to start collecting yellow quilts. It doesn't take this girl much to start collecting anything. My daughter tells people to NEVER tell me what they collect because I would be adding to their collection. I just love the hunt! The adventure of all those dusty over crowded antique stores...and I am in heaven.


Yesterday I went down to Emporia, Kansas to pick up some more patterns from my printer. I decided to treat myself to Poehler Merchantile Antique on 301 Commercial Street. It is now one of my favorites in Kansas. No thrift store stuff just all antiques. Just the way I like antique stores. I have never allowed myself time to stop before. Wow...have I been missing out. I usually have my printing all shipped but I think I will have to go get it from now on. The next couple of blogs will be about my neat treasures (treasures to me anyway). I always thought it must be fun for the people who work in those stores to see what everyone brings up to the counter. The lady there said that I must have a very interesting house based on what I was bringing up. How should I take that....I love it because I buy what makes me smile. I also design quilts that make me smile. Above is my newest yellow quilt and I am smiling. I would be even happier if I only knew what pattern it was.

Above is a close-up of one block from the quilt. If anyone knows what block pattern it is I would love to know. Have a great day and remember this hot, hot, hot summer is almost over! Amy

Friday, August 26, 2011

What can you make with a wooden pallet?

(Images via: Instructables & jkratman)


Take a look at this website to see what else you can make with a wooden pallet. We get some of our shipping on these and it makes me want to think twice about getting rid of them now. I am a believer in recycling especially when it is this cute. Amazing!

http://webecoist.com/2010/04/07/art-of-upcycling-20-diy-wood-pallet-reuse-project-ideas/


Friday, August 19, 2011

Saginaw, Michigan

Mom and I just got to escape the Kansas heat and travel to Saginaw, Michigan where the grass was a beautiful green and the flowers were beautiful. I was invited by the Piecemakers guild and Quilted Cottage Quilt Shop http://www.quiltedcottage.net for two guild talks and two workshops. I have wanted to meet these girls for a long time. Sandy seated below is the " Head Diva" in my book. She is the leader of the "Quilt Diva's" sewing group. They have made a ton of my patterns. Yea!


Below is a photo of the Quilted Cottage. It was my kind of shop...full of cheery bright fabric. I loved the stools at the cutting table and the shopping carts to bring up lots of bolts to the cutting table. I can't believe this shop is only four years old and they have it so together!



Next door is this lovely large space for workshops. It will hold 40 participants easy.




Mom and I are in the front below. Left to right: Judy, Emily, Julie, Stacy (co-owner) Jackie (co-owner) and Jessica of the Quilted Cottage.



These "Diva" ladies dressed up and sang a special song for me before my guild talk.



Clara Martin brought her "Bathing Beauties" quilt for show and tell. She has made five of these, one for herself and her four sisters. She added an extra girl to my pattern. I just love to see my patterns made up in other colors and with your own creativity.



I have never seen this before....flowers spiraling down the tree trunks. They actually were dirt encased plastic tubes wired to the tree trunk with flowers coming out of the holes in the tubes. They also had a water drip system through the tube. They had about five of these in a row. Cool!



Chris Pahssen- Noble took such good care of us when we were there. She took a lot of time out of her week to drive us around and make sure we always had food and drink. THANK YOU CHRIS!!!! On the way back to the airport she even took us a little early so we could stop at the town of Frankenmuth - Michigan's little Bavaria. http://www.frankenmuth.org I have been to a lot of places but I have never seen so many flowers in one town. It was so perfect it was like a movie set. She even let us step inside the world's largest Christmas store. http://www.bronners.com/aboutUs


Above is the Bavarian Inn. http://www.bavarianinn.com

This chicken below was made up of flowers outside this restaurant in Frankenmuth. Amazing!



I had a WONDERFUL time!!!! Thank you Piecemakers Quilt Guild and Quilted Cottage!!!






Wednesday, August 3, 2011

HOT! HOT! HOT!




Yesterday my iron of 5 years started to make sounds like my Rice Krispies ... snap, crackle and pop and it was gone. It's has been a good iron and survived numerous falls off my ironing board. I told my husband John that I needed to go out and buy a new one.




He suggested that I just take my small iron collection and put them on the sidewalk. It registered 113 degrees on our outside thermometer when he said that. I think I would need a oven mitt to remove them. When I look at these irons I just think how spoiled I am compared to the women that had to use these. Amazing!

I now have bought a new iron for $19.00. Since I do mostly fusible web I can't be without one. Nothing fancy for me I am too hard on them to buy anything expensive.

Today we have a cool front coming through. It is only supposed to be 92 degrees! I say stay inside and sew, sew sew!!!!