Me & My Stitches

Me & My Stitches
Click on the picture to go to my website. These are 1 1/4" pendants.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Northland Needles show continued!

You've seen most of the pictures from the quilt show, but blogger was not playing nice and didn't let me finish my last post, so now you can see just a few more things!  There was a really nice exhibit of antique crazy quilts.  I think I could look at them all day long - so much detail and so many neat stitches.  DH even really enjoyed looking at all of the detail in them.








In addition to some great vendors and awesome quilts...I thought I would share a few men from the show!  This guy was super, super nice - his wife was in charge of this booth, and he was there part of the time.  He said that she doesn't let him drive her longarm at home very much, so he was having fun playing.  The second day he brought some additional tools for my DH to play with too.
 And, speaking of my husband...OH MY!!!  I've shown these socks before - this is the first show that we've taken them too.  These were really his idea - something different to add to the booth. So...he decided that he would be the sock model.  Uhhhh...not sure if this drew customers in, or chased them away!  Thankfully he did not keep this pose for long.  The good news is that we sold lots of socks (DH takes credit!) and have ordered more.

I stitched on this block on the way home, while I still had daylight.  I just finished it last night - there is a lot of stitching on this little thing!  


I finished all of the chain blocks and decided it's time to put it all on my design wall.  I wish there weren't so many empty spaces!  But, I'm trying to stitch a little every night, and eventually I WILL get these finished.  I did piece the border blocks as well, and have added them to the design wall.
 Of course, I have to show you how helpful Callie is!  I was trying to scan all of the Charming 3 blocks and she just couldn't help herself.  She is the nosiest thing!
It's been awhile now, but Renee Nanneman of Need'l Love was having a great sale.  She designed a couple of fabric lines with tiny little prints that work perfect for my jewelry, and since they were on sale, I decided I better stock up!  And while I was at it...these books were a great deal too.  Yep...it made for a fun mail day for me...



I have lots more to share, but once again...Blogger won't let me add more pictures!  Guess that means I better get back to work!

Have a great weekend!


Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Northland Needlers Quilt Show

We had a great time at the Northland Needlers show a few weeks ago.  You will be impressed - I actually took pictures!  They are low quality (I know you would expect no less of me!), but they are pictures.  I am having lots of computer troubles, so most of these pictures aren't edited and I'm having a hard time even getting them to load on here, so I apologize for that.

Here you can see our booth - the quilts from left to right are "Gathering Scraps" (the smaller version), "Dottie's Dashes", "Baskets in the Cabin", and "Size Does Matter".  You can see the small stained glass windows that Mom made - hanging in the hinged, wooden frame on the table.

 The quilts are "Size Does Matter" (again), "Ozzie's Baskets", and "Rally the Troops".  And there are the new socks.
 Here is a close up of Size Does Matter - the 9 patches finish at 1 1/2".  I hand quilted this one.

On the way to the show, I FINALLY sewed down the binding on this little quilt - about time, don't you think!?
 This stained glass piece was in a neighboring both - loved it.  He mainly sold featherweight machines.
Here are just a few quilts from the show.   This first quilt was so interesting - all about women't suffrage.  The pictures don't do it justice at all.


















Well, it looks like Blogger is not going to let me add any more pictures, so I will end this blog post!  Technology...it's killing me!

Have a great day!

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Almost show time!

It is a busy time of year for us - getting ready for upcoming shows and also for Charming 3.  Fun times!  This weekend we will be at the Northland Needlers quilt show.  Here are the details...

Friends Bound By Stitches quilt show
Salvation Army Comm. Center
5306 North Oak Trafficway
Kansas City, MO 64118

Friday, September 19th - 9:30 - 6:00
Saturday, September 20th - 9:30 - 4:00

We are really looking forward to this - sure hope to see lots of you there. Please come and say hi!  We are in the quilt display area (so we have extra eye candy to look at all day!!).  We are trying a few new things this fall.  First off are these awesome SOCKS!!


I just love them!  Each sock is different, yet they still match! I have them in 2 different sizes - the Medium is up to a ladies size 10 and the large are ladies size 10-12.  They also come in an XL and I got one of those for my hubby!  You will see him modeling them at the show.  I do not have these on my website, so if you see a pair that you would like, just send me an e-mail.  They sell for $15.95 per pair.

Something else new for the shows this fall are stained glass windows in quilt block designs! My mom has made up a bunch of little windows - I think they are all around 8" that are the same designs that I use for my jewelry.  I haven't seen them yet - she is bringing them over today.  Can't wait to see what all she has come up with!

More items that we will bring along - we were about sold out of pins, so we finished a nice batch of them...




And a few pendants with some added bling...


And the fun mail days are not over yet - look what Lisa from Primitive Gatherings shared with me...

A layer cake of her newest fabric line with Moda that will be in shops soon (I think!).  I whipped up a bunch of jewelry with it - will show you that at a later date!  Love the anchors.  I think these fabrics would make great baby quilts - the yellow is a nice, soft yellow and there are a couple shades of gray (not 50...lol).  Really pretty!

And I did finish up my second "Gathering Scraps" sample.  If you remember - I sent the first one to Primitive Gatherings for use in their booth this fall.  It should be in the booth in Des Moines - so if you go to that show, be sure to go see it!  My original plan was to make a smaller version and just not have it quilted yet (no time).  Well, I did make it a little smaller - the original is 65" x 75" and the 2nd one is 35" x 45". Well, I decided that it would look bad to have a quilt hanging that was not quilted - so I made a call to my quilter, Kym Ward and she was able to do it for me!!  I was so excited and happy that she was able to sneak it in.  Good thing I made it smaller - she may not have had the time for a big one.  She does such a great job and really does take good care of me.   And...DARNIT!!!  I just realized that I forgot to sew a label in when I attached the binding.  GRRR!!!! Why do I always forget to do that?  It is so easy to just add a triangle to the corner when you sew on that binding. Ok...add that to the to-do list for today!  If you didn't see Gathering Scraps...here it is...
Now I have to go get busy!  I will leave you with a picture of Ozzie - he is modeling some of the pumpkin pins!

Hope to see you at the show!!

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Fun mail and fun visitors!


I still have a lot of fun mail days to share with you!  Isn't this adorable?  It's from my friend Nancy...

 I just love it - looks familiar - cats getting in trouble!

Another day, another package - again from Nancy (she totally spoils me!!)
This is a cute little kit that she bought while they were shopping at Temecula one day.  I really love the variety of fabrics in it and need to set aside some time to make it - it will be a quick, fun little project.  And how cool that she sent it in the Temecula project bag!

Boy, did we have some fun visitors this summer!  We have 4 nieces from North Dakota. Brianna has been working in Iowa since January and has come to see us a few times, but the other 3 have never been here.  Michaela decided that she wanted to surprise DH this summer and come to visit!  We worked out the details and I was sooooo excited for them to come and knew that it would be the best surprise ever for DH.  He messed up our plans a little bit when he got home earlier than expected on the day that they were to arrive.  I had hoped to have them here and just sitting in the living room when he got home.  But instead, they managed to drive up and sneak into the garage.  I had told them to just come on in, but he walked into the garage just as they came in!  He just stood there with his mouth open for a long time!  Didn't even have any words!  So funny and so special to have them here for a few days.  This is Michaela...
 And this is Brianna...
 Aren't they beautiful?!  I just love them both.  Sure hope they can come back again some day (and bring their sisters!).

This is what I see out of one side of my sewing room - I just thought it looked pretty with the pond and the blue sky with the clouds peeking over the trees.

 I have no idea why there is cat hair on everything I own!  This is Ozzie making himself comfy on Gathering Scraps, when I was trying to sew on binding.


Speaking of Gathering Scraps - it is going on tour!  Lisa B from Primitive Gatherings called the other day and asked if she could borrow it for awhile to put in their booth at some shows this fall.  Well...of course!  I boxed it and a bunch of patterns up last week and sent it off. Then I decided to make a smaller (in size, not scale) version to take with me to my shows this fall.  I'm working on it now.  It really is a fun quilt to make.  I'm hoping to have the 2nd one finished today. Not sure what to do about the quilting.  I should probably attempt to do it myself, but I hate to ruin it.  Might have to make some phone calls and plead for someone to quilt it for me.  Do you think I will be able to keep Ozzie off of this one?  Probably not!



 Here is another one of my Summer Block of the Week blocks - prepped, but not stitched.  I am still keeping up on the prep work and am now stitching on block 4.  I really do love all of these blocks - yep...still no regrets for caving in!

One last thing - I have 5 spots left in Charming 3 - so if you have been on the fence about signing up, this is your last chance!

Hope you have a great Wednesday!