Since I have been doing a lot of hand quilting lately, I thought it might be time for another review. This is a product I just couldn’t do without. I am a hand quilter that is “on the go” a lot of the time. I have to have products that make my work very portable. This product really helps keep my quilting threads and needles organized. Clover® makes a Domed Needle Holder Case that holds ten threaded needles. The threads are wound on a reel and remain untangled. When I quilt in the car, it is really too bumpy to thread needles easily. The Needle Dome held enough threaded needles for me to quilt through a seven-hour car trip a couple of weekends ago. You can probably find the Domed Needle Holder Case at your local quilt shop (and Heaven knows we need to support our local quilt shops). If your local quilt shop doesn’t carry it (or you don’t have a local quilt shop), you can find it on line. The cost usually ranges from $8-$11. I really think it is well worth the money if you are a hand quilter.
I have been away from home, but I have done some quilting. My husband and I just got back from our son's house in Fort Smith, Arkansas. It is close to a 10 hour trip each way. My husband did most of the driving on the way down, so I quilted on my 10-month UFO for about five hours. I didn't get any quilting done while I was actually at Ryan's house, but I made up for it on the way home. Nate drove the entire way home, and I quilted until it got too dark to see any more. I got a good eight hours of quilting time in. The callouses on my fingers are so thick I can hardly feel the needle any more! I'm trying to get as much quilting done on it as possible, because I'm having some trouble with my left shoulder. I'm worried I may have to have some work done to it. I'm not sure I'll be able to quilt should that happen; and Heaven forbid, I'd have to pay $5 for not getting one of my UFO projects done!
Now that I'm back home, I'll be working on piecing the blocks for my Happenstance quilt from Quilts by Caren. I'm really loving the way those blocks are shaping up. I'll try to get some pictures up soon. I'm also getting ready to prepare the blocks for my Crab-apple Hill Halloween and winter quilts. I have to purchase a background fabric for the #317 Vintage Trick or Treat embroidered quilt blocks. I have the background fabric for the #316 Over the River and Through the Woods embroidered blocks in my stash. (Imagine that!) Once I get those blocks prepared, I'll have virtually unlimited handwork to do. I won't have to wonder if I have a portable project to take while I'm "on the road." I'll just have to be deciding WHICH project to take. Now that the top is finished for my charity quilt, I need to get that layered, quilted, and bound too.
I am hosting Stitch & Bitch at my house tomorrow. (Lemon cake for the event is baking as I'm blogging.) My Lori Smith Christmas Quilt is due for the UFO club. I have yet to find it. I know it is done; I used it this past Christmas. Because of all the remodeling work we're doing on the house, though, my quilts are stashed all over the place. Who knows where I'll find it.
One of my friends told me I should update you as to the use of my collection of orange, red, and yellow fabrics. I have been collecting them since painting my rooms in these colors. I'm planning on doing a large wall hanging for my "new" rooms. My friends have all laughed at me (and might I add--given me a hard time), because I have collected quite a stash in those colors. (It could be because every place I have gone for the last couple of months or so, I have purchased at least a half-yard of fabric in those colors.) I had the last laugh, though. I started cutting out my wall hanging pattern yesterday and needed 18 (yes, I said, "18") half-yard cuts of fabric (and that didn't include the fabric for the sashing or borders or binding)! I sure was glad I was persistent about buying every red, yellow, and orange fabric I liked for the last month or so!
I have been on a mini-vacation with my sister for the last week. She is not a quilter, so I didn't get any quilting done. I did get some landscaping work done. My sister has the most beautiful garden at her home in Tennessee. She helped me plan a garden for my back yard and some landscaping for the front of the house. (We just had all the old landscaping plants taken out this past fall.) She promises me she will come back and help me complete the work in the fall. We'll see.....
I will be home for a little bit before I head to Fort Smith, AR, to visit my son. I'm hoping to get some quilting done in that time. I want to start a large wall hanging to put in my living room. Since my house is now updated a bit with bold, new colors (red, yellow, orange, off white, dark chocolate brown), I want to put something new (with a modern twist) on my wall. Oh, while my sister was here, I did some shopping for accessories for the newly remodeled house. I got a couple of big decorative vases that I just love. I also got some items for the new black, white, and gray bedroom.
Well, I'm off to clean the house a bit and begin cutting some pieces for the new wall hanging. I'll keep you updated as to progress (if there is any)!
I just got back from a trip to Indianapolis, IN, with a friend of mine. We had the opportunity to visit a couple of the quilt shops there. First we hit Quilts Plus north of the city. The staff was very friendly and numerous samples caught our attention. I was really drawn to a sample quilt that used TINY little nine patch and Hole in the Barn Door blocks. It was really something. I didn’t buy the pattern; though, I figured that would be one more UFO to add to my already huge stack! I did manage to purchase a book there. It was a book on color theory. I figure I could put it to good use.
Our second stop was to The Back Door quilt shop south of the city. I just love this shop. The staff is very helpful, and they too have lots and lots of samples to see. I bought a pattern by Crabapple Hill (the second Crabapple Hill pattern I have purchased in the last two weeks) called #317 Vintage Trick or Treat. I saw a sample of this quilt (in process). It is adorable—embroidered blocks combined with piecing and large black rick-rack. What can I say…cute, cute, cute! I’m thinking any of the embroidery blocks could be used for other projects—pillows, wall hangings, small quilts. The pattern is a bit pricey--$25.25, but it is more like a book than a pattern. I’m hoping I find it worth the price. I just haven’t seen anything like it.
I also purchased a pattern for a wool felt table rug that finishes to a circular shape of approximately 16 ½”. The pattern is called “Candy Corn & Summer Slices” by Lily Anna Stitches and contains the instructions for two rugs. I bought the wool felt kit for the Candy Corn version. Large candy corn pieces edge a black scalloped circular background. I’m thinking that my Longaberger Halloween basket will look adorable on this rug for my Halloween table decoration. Now, we’ll see if it actually gets finished in time for Halloween!
I hadn’t visited these shops for quite some time and really enjoyed my time there.