Fun Fun Fun

Well, I just got home from a weekend at Cotton and Chocolate in Thousand Oaks. We had a great time! Most of the class is finishing up their Mariner's Compass quilts. 

Lauren got her triangle together first...but by the end of Sunday, everyone had all the parts together and we're working on getting the curved piecing started....for more minute to minute details, follow me on Instagram as Queeniequilts .

So of course, we started planning and scheming our next Judy Niemeyer quilts....most of the class has decided to work on Fire Island Hosta. We have a couple of slots open in the Sunday class, but you need to sign up quickly before it fills up.

Ilsa has plans for a rainbow sherbet version. I'm in love with this color combo....

And now, I am off to take this adorable puppy out for a long walk. Because I can't resist that face.

Happy Quilting!

Catherine

You know what they say about the best laid plans.....

Well, the plans for the day have been completely changed. I was planning on sewing most of the day in preparation for this weekend's festivities at Cotton and Chocolate in Thousand Oaks. Instead, I am at the dealership with the car, which has decided to act a little funny. Since I will be driving close to 600 miles later in the week, I decided to bring it in, just in case. Better safe than sorry is my view when it comes to cars. Needless to say, I have no idea how long I will be here, so we'll have to see how the day goes.

It's really nice that EVERYWHERE has internet. I can literally get on the internet at the dealership and get some computer work done, so that is what I am going to do. Because the computer work never ends.....I think when you start your own business you think that 90% of the work will be the piece that you love, sewing samples, teaching classes, etc. But it's the complete opposite, I spend 10% of my time doing those, and the rest doing paperwork!!!! That being said, I am still loving it, with the exception of taxes, and I am just happy that those are over for a while!!! And hopefully, my new monthly auditing of the paperwork means that it will be less painful next year.

Well, I'm off to work on the website, where I am going to add all of these new fabrics this morning. And a few others, okay a lot of others, 5 whole boxes that arrived yesterday!!!

Okay, off to work for me. 

Happy Quilting!

Catherine 

A Few Student Projects

It's been a while since I showed any student work, and they really have been working quite hard to get projects done, so I thought we should show them off. 

Deborah Conklin finished this Glacier Star at Memory Lane on a Sunday a few weeks back. By the following Saturday, Mona Beck has quilted it and bound it, and it was preparing for an over water trip to England. Deborah made this for a family member as her wedding quilt. I think I want to be adopted!!! 

This is Mona Beck's Tropical Rainbow. Mona stopped by while I was teaching at Memory Lane to show us her quilting (if you zoom in you will see that the threads aren't yet buried on the quilt). I really love this pattern, and really must add it to my rotation soon. It uses a technique that is only seen in a couple of Judy quilts (the cutout and overlap) and I am super anxious to work on that. Along with all the others on my list of quilts to do.....  

And this is Gil's Glacier Star....Gil is in my class at Cotton and chocolate in Thousand Oaks, CA.

I love the subtlety in this quilt, and the repetition of the darkest background. It really plays well in unifying the design. Gil is starting on the extensions next with hopes to finish it in next month's class. 

And finally, this in Jonelle's Glacier Star Queen. Love it!

Next up, working on Osprey's Nest, and picking up a half dozen quilts that need binding. Good thing there is a Star Wars marathon in my near future.....Hope everyone had a great National Star Wars day on Sunday, the Force of May. 

Happy Quilting!

Catherine

Celtic Wave QAL update - Checkpoint 6 Start

Well,

 It's that time, time for the every other week Celtic Wave WAL update. And the truth is, I have gotten nothing done. I would love to tell you that I am finished with my curved piecing like I had planned to be, but the truth is, I haven't even started. I had planned to remedy that this past Saturday with a full day of sewing planned, but Little Gabie arrived 3 weeks early, and to say I did nothing that resembled sewing was an understatement. Not that I have gotten to hold her as of yet, she is in the NICU, with an issue that they are monitoring, so the holding will have to wait, but she is already a complete distraction, which I am happy to endure.

So, instead, I will be playing catch up this cycle. Hopefully getting my curved piecing done while the rest of you work on your queen geese making (if you are indeed making geese). For now, it's just a quick glance at what is done...now just need to get them put together.....

 

geese - lots of them.

Spike Units - 40 of them....

More geese units....

Border Spike Units......

And the asteroids....for the center.

All of these have to be curve pieced, first the spikes to the geese, then the spiked geese to the asteriods or corner segment. So, 80 curved seams in all. Which for me, is approximately 2 full days of sewing. Because I am slow with curves because I am a bit of a perfectionist with them. But alas, it will be fine, once I get started.

Here's a quick refresher on what we have next.....

Checkpoint 5 : April 14 - Curved Piecing - we just finished this segment (okay, should have finished, but we'll catch up don't worry!!!!)
Checkpoint 6 : April 28 - Border Units (if you are doing the Queen)
Checkpoint 7 : May 12 - Start Assembly
Checkpoint 8 : May 26 - All DONE!!!!

How are you coming along on getting your Celtic Wave done??? What colors are you doing???

Happy Quilting!!!

Catherine

It's Finally Friday

Yes, it is Friday, and just one hour away from a wonderfully busy weekend. I can't quite believe it is finally here. I have a Friday Sew In planned for tonight, with a bunch of reruns of Bonnie Hunter's QuiltCam. Since I rarely get to watch them live since they happen during dinner time around here (9pm EST = 6pm PST, aka dinner time). Tomorrow is a busy sewing day with the girls. I haven't decided what I am going to work on yet, only that I WILL get my Sew Everything Bag by Sew Demented done. I've cut out the pieces, and I will get the FMQing done tonight, so I can assemble tomorrow. I have heard that once you have all of the stuff prepped it's super easy (even though it has zippers, when quite frankly scare the Bejesus out of me).

Sunday is a full teaching day, at The Sew and Sew in Glendora, CA we will be working on a number of projects -- Bali Wedding Star, Diamond Wedding Ring, Grandmother's Wedding Ring, and Flower's for My Grandmother's Wedding Ring. Basically, everything related to the wedding ring. And hopefully, I will have some fun things to share here next week.

And next week, is the start of million of new things, and a catchup on the Celtic Wave QAL -- yes, it's been almost two weeks since we had an update on it. I can't say that I have done much on it, it's been busy around here with moving, and a new niece who is literally set to arrive anytime this evening (or potentially tomorrow morning). Needless to say, life is crazy, and wonderful. So, now I really must go, there are people coming over for the evening sew in and I need to set up a place for them to play!!!

What are you sewing on this weekend???

Happy Quilting!!!
Catherine

And we have internet...

Yippee!!! We have internet finally!!! So excited to be able to sit on the couch or in the sewing room and get on the internet, without any toggling!!! And I have TV channels, not that I really watch much TV, but I do like to have it on for background noise and to entertain the puppy. So, now I can work on my WIP Wednesday post and actually do the linky's -- which you can't do when you blog from your phone or your iPad. In addition, I will be able to stream video in the sewing room, which means I will get more done, and be able to record and edit videos for you. Yippee!!! Okay, now, I really must get to work.

Happy Quilting!!!

Catherine

Tuesday already?

Well, I'm still blogging from the ipad, since the cable man has to actually run new wire, he won't be here until tomorrow to get everything finally setup. Thank goodness! I knew I was attached to my internet, but I had no idea how little I would be able to do without it.

I've managed to finish getting the bedrooms put away and organized, and the only thing that really remains from the move is the kitchen....the new kitchen is about 20% smaller, so finding space for some things is a bit interesting. There is literally not a cabinet big enough for the kitchen aid. So I suspect a trip to ikea May be in order to aquire some type of a storage cabinet for a "pantry". Like I need a reason to go there.....

On the sewing front, I haven't really had much sewing time, due to the errands, orders, and miscellaneous stockings going on (Costco, Target, Walmart, grocery, etc), and catching up with friends. It's been a bit grand central, which I am sure will subside in a few weeks. In the few minutes that I have had, I started working on the stash reduction....I decided to start from the front and go through the WIP boxes as I came to them, I considered a number of options for ranking and prioritizing, but in the end, I decided to just dig in.

Conveniently, my first box was full of Sunshine be April Cornell for Moda. I knew exactly who would receive the quilt, but no real plan. I separated the fabrics, and realized that a bunch of blocks had been sewn already, so I sashed them, and picked some border fabric, and prepped it. And then I used the jelly rolls to make segments for the back. It still needs 2 or 3 more borders to get to 110" square, but there is plenty of fabric in the box. 

I have work sewing to complete tomorrow after the internet man leaves, and some website work to do, so I likely won't work on this one again until Friday, but it's not far from a finish, so hopefully it will get off to the quilter by Next Monday.

What are you working on this week?

Happy Quilting!

Catherine