Friday, February 13, 2015

4 X 7 Stitching and Last Chance to enter GROW YOUR BLOG Giveaway!!

Good morning, quilters!!  Have you been stitching every day for the past week?  I have!!
 I hope I can keep up the pace for the remaining two weeks of February.
 
My big push this week was to get two workshop samples to a displayable point by Wednesday.  I kept the quilting on the Rose Star bed runner very simple, did it with my walking foot and did the binding completely by machine (you can read my tips about doing that HERE).  
Done!!
The second sample is basically a "first" draft of an idea that has been rolling around in my head for the past several months and I just haven't made the time to focus in on it.  The hexie motifs are sample blocks from Mickey Depre's book, Pieced Hexies which will be the textbook for my workshop at Lake Metroparks Farmpark Quilt Show on Saturday, March 14, 2015.  The color palette was inspired by this Jane Sassaman print I hoarded the summer of 2013!!
Happily my deadline mentality pulled it out of the fire again and I got the background together over the course of two afternoons in the studio.  The motifs (which have been together for a couple months) are basted in place at this point so it can be displayed at the Park.  When it returns to the studio next month, my goal is to carve out a block of time to push this piece along.
 
Once those two were ticked off the list, I took advantage of a short lull in the action to layer up this very old top that I intend to quilt next week.  It's hanging over the top of my APQS George for two reasons -- to keep the helpful little black cat off of it and to remind me to work on it!!
Yesterday I realized that the pillowcases I started for my grands needed to be mailed now to arrive in time for Valentine's Day.  That meant rethreading my serger with lighter thread which meant I needed to do a small alteration (short arms, you know) and a little repair first with the dark thread that was on the machine. 
 
Happily, the rethreading went smoothly -- not a hitch -- and the tension was perfect immediately, no fiddling required!!
And when I left the house at noon to meet a friend for lunch, I left with a package ready to drop off at the post office!!  One for a boy and one for a girl!!  The main prints were new purchases last week when I paid a visit to Mercantile on Main in Coshocton, Ohio to see the brand new location!!  They are still arranging and rearranging, but it's a roomy space with the highest ceilings I've ever seen -- boy, will their quilts look great hanging on those wall!!
It's almost over, the GROW YOUR BLOG Hop!  Thanks to everyone who has visited me over the past 3 weeks as a result of that! 
 
This afternoon is dedicated to packing for the Hexie Lover's Workshop tomorrow -- the sooner I get that done, the sooner I can stitch!!
 
Mary Huey
 
 
 
 

6 comments:

  1. Oh, Mary - love both your demos!!. I practically swooned when I saw the second one! Why do I miss all this gorgeous fabric? Wish I lived closer so I could go to a workshop. LOL - forget that - I hate the cold. I invite you to link to WIPs Be Gone - those samples will delight viewers.

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  2. That Jane Sassaman print---!!! DEE-lish. Cats?? Oh yeah, know that feeling; mine is cream and brown and deposits long cream furs on new quilts, new fabric, and many older quilts...great helpers and cheerleaders though aren't they? ;-) That block for the Rose Star funner is really pretty. And great idea to send off pillowcases. I was a bad Nana and didn't send my grandson a thing for Valentine's.

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  3. I'm so impressed with those half hexes. Your quilts are very intricate with their patterns and I'm really fascinated by them! That top that's waiting to quilt is really something!

    I'm envious of your smooth thread change on your serger. If you read about my serger catastrophe a month ago, you'll know I was TICKLED to finally get it back yesterday. After a whole month. Alas, it doesn't appear to be really repaired and after a very frustrating afternoon, I gave up and hope it will have magically cured itself overnight. I have band uniforms that need finishing this week and the serger really is essential for a finished look.

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  4. wow you were busy!!! I love them all!!!

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  5. You got a lot done this week! I'm sure your grand kiddos will love those pillowcases! Best of luck in Week 3!

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  6. Aww, my kids got Valentine's pillowcases from their grandma, too! And you'll never guess the prints... Frozen, of course ; ) Hope you keep up the momentum next week, Mary - you're getting so much done!

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