Color Challenge: Yellow

Angela, over at Cottage Magpie, has issued another
color challenge. Her last one was green but I discovered
it too late to enter. This one is yellow. Well I would have
done better with the green. I love yellow, I wear yellow,
I use lots of yellow in my quilting, my hair is yellow
for pete's sake! But I have very little yellow in my
house. I do have plans to paint my bedroom a pale
buttery yellow but that hasn't happened yet.
I should have taken a picture of the paint chips!

So here is the extent of my yellow. And to keep it on
a quilting theme, here is one stack of my yellows in
my stash.
This cute little clock was a birthday gift from my daughter a few years ago. It travels from the bathroom to my sewing room. Everytime I dust it I move it.

Here are a few more yellows in my house.
Over my mantle in the Spring (now!), and on my
sewing room door.

Thanks Angela. This is a cute idea and I have enjoyed
getting ideas to incorporate more yellow in my life!

Until next time...
Susie

More Quilt Show Eye Candy

Remember this quilt? It is called
confetti and I made it in a class
by Norma Campbell. Well,
Georgia made this one (below)
using bright squares and black
background. It is stunning!





This one below was a block-of-the-month at our guild last year.

Geri won them and made this cute quilt. The borders
are embroidered applique and compliment the
blocks perfectly. I haven't participated in the BOMs
this year but seeing the cute quilts that people have
been putting together makes me regret that.

Marion made this one (above) with string blocks for
the star centers. The inner border is surrounded
by a black & white stripe that she cut tiny to look
like squares. She cleverly uses stripes alot in her
borders and they always look fantastic.

Until next time...
Susie

Hi, my name is Susie...

...and i am a fabriholic.
Is there such a thing as F.A. (fabriholics anonymous)?

I really do have a problem and I'm not really sure I
want to cure it...just control it a little bit.

You all know Bonnie Hunter was in town and I attended
her trunk show and a workshop. She so inspired me to
get my scraps in order so I began ironing them to get
ready to cut them. I was OK with the long strips or the
ugly stuff. But I couldn't cut the larger pieces. I'm not
talking about yardage here, I'm talking about pieces
that are smaller than a fat quarter. In fact, when I came
across a whole fat quarter (you know, the ones that don't
even have a tiny circle cut out) I actually put them all
together in a FQ box. So if I cut all these strips, squares
and/or bricks, what if I need a 5" square or a 6" piece?
I won't have any scraps larger than 3 1/2"!!!! Yikes!!
(I'm not including my yardage here am I?)

I know the idea is to have sizes cut so that when you
decide on a pattern, all you have to do is sit and sew,
but I get short of breath, jittery, and filled with anxiety
when faced with a freshly ironed perfect color yellow
that is only 8" x 12". I have decided it's ok not to cut it.
(Until I want to use it of course--and I WILL use it
someday) I am willing to live with that decision.

The photo above is just my basket of long strips, I
have a few more piles just like this, of scraps.

So my solution is to create a box called larger scraps.

Whew, I feel so much better now.

Until next time...
Susie

Spring has sprung

How's this for a porch decoration. We have been so
busy the last few weeks that we didn't even notice it.
We usually go in and out of the house through the
garage, so when we noticed this beautiful, perfect
nest on the wreath on our front porch, it was too late!

This was taken a few days ago and my husband peeked
in last night and there are now four eggs. When we go
out the door or when the mailman approaches the
mama robin flies to the tree just off the porch and
squauks at us.

I am not looking forward to the bird poop or the
crying babies but it won't be for long and this
nest is the smoothest, deepest,most symetrical, I
have ever seen. We will remove it after the babies
fly away. We do use the front porch when the weather
gets warmer. This wreath is right above one of the
rockers. I would like to keep it but don't know
about germs or bugs. Anyone ever keep a bird's nest?

Until next time...
Susie

Bonnie's fun class

Time flew! Sewing machines buzzed! Laughter abounded!
And lunch was delicious (Thanks Debi)
That's how I would describe our Saturday taking Bonnie's
class. She taught Star Struck and it goes really fast. Of
course all our strips were cut so all we had to do was,
what Bonnie calls "power sewing".

Here is Bonnie cutting up shirts she bought the day
before at a thrift store. See the two bags on the floor
beside her. They are full of 100% cotton shirts and
let me tell you they are amazing. The fabrics are
beautiful and they feel great. Bonnie says she goes
by the feel as to what shirts will be good for a quilt.

Isn't Pat's scrappy bargello beautiful. I think she made
it during Bonnie's Bargello bowl on Super Bowl Sunday.

This is my Star Struck colors. I got most of the units
done, so all I have to do is lay them out and sew them
together. I will donate it to Quilts of Valor. Hopefully
I can get it done in a month.

And last but not least, me and Bonnie!
It was a great day, Bonnie is delightful as well as inspiring.

Thanks Bonnie.
Until next time...
Susie

Bonnie's here!!

What a wonderful guild meeting we had last night.
(And I forgot my camera--rats)
Bonnie Hunter is in town and four local (sort of) guilds
are sharing her. If you haven't been to her web site,
Quiltville.com NOW IS THE TIME folks.

Her quilts are beautiful on her site, but when you
see them in person, they are spectacular!
(Warning--there are lots of exclamation points in
this post!)

I will be taking her Star Struck class on Saturday.
I haven't finished cutting my strips yet because we have
had house guests but they are leaving today so I will
be a cuttin' fool tonight while I am watching Survivor.
I had a chance to take her My Blue Heaven class
tomorrow but I shouldn't take off work and I couldn't
get strips cut for TWO classes back-to-back! I haven't
been very organized lately.

Just two teaser pics of more I bought in Lancaster.
Above is Daiwabo taupe that I hope use for a summer
shirt. The main fabric is like a cheater with different
squares. Below is fruit fabric that I will use to border
some embroidered sayings of Fruits of the Spirit.
That is my favorite Bible passage Galatians 5:22-23
so I have been collecting for it.

I have been having such a busy month and it won't be
slowing down for a few more weeks but I am itching
to get into my scraps. Bonnie is sooooo inspiring!

Until next time...
Susie

Willpower - NOT!

Have you ever walked by a vendor at a quilt show, saw
something hanging in their booth and walked right up
and bought it? I didn't even ask the price. No, I'm sure
that has not happened to anyone who quilts! Well,
this little kit (she had the sample made and hanging
up-which helps) just absolutely struck me. I don't know why.
Could it be that it is blue -- or civil war fabrics -- or
simple applique and pieced? I can't wait to start it
but it will be in a few weeks.

Well, doncha know it happened AGAIN! I have seen this
little wallhanging in the Keepsake Quilting catalog and
thought it was nice. Let me tell you, in person it is
spectacular. I met the designer, Joan Jones, and she
gave me simple instructions for making the face. (
They are also included in the kit). I will be taking bets
on whether this will be done by Christmas! (Let me
give you a hint-I won't be holding my breath)

I thought I would pass along a blog/web site that I found

www.thepioneerwoman.com

Besides her delicious recipes, she is a funny writer,
a great photographer and her web site is beautiful.
I have made the apple dumplings. (You've GOT to try
them) and the Marlboro Man sandwich. Check it out.
You won't be sorry.

Until next time...
Susie

Carnival-John Flynn class

I like it! Can you see the circles and the spider webs?
This is a 3 x 3 block version that is just on my design
wall (blocks not sewn together yet) The actual quilt
will be 4 x 5 blocks so with borders it will make a
nice lap size. I might even make it larger because
it looks like one of my sons will love this and he is
6' 3". Although I must admit curve piecing isn't my
favorite, I do enjoy the results. The trick is to go
slow. That is hard for me. John Flynn is very laid
back and funny. It is amazing to see him interact
with all these women. He was very patient to say
the least.

Maybe you all remember that the members of my
bee exchange sewing/quilting theme fabric. When any
of us go to a quilt show we bring the others a FQ.

Well how do you like DOGS ON QUILTS! I couldn't resist
this fabric. Most of us are dog people so I know they
will like it. I bought a yard for myself and two yards to
make FQs for my bee. Cute huh?

Finally, for today, here is a book I bought for the guild
library. It has patterns for the cutest flowers to
applique by machine or by hand. She gives lots of
versions for quilts and accesories. (Sorry about the
bright spot-I took four pics and they all had it-even
without the flash).

More Lancaster stuff to come.

Until next time...
Susie