Walnut Creek Vintage Fair 2019 & Linky Party

The Rosy Fingers of Dawn: 7:00 Arrival

Living in the heart of quilt country has its advantages if you pay attention. The Walnut Creek Vintage Fair has been around for several years now, but I first heard about it last week when a friend said she was vending vintage fabric there, and I should come. I coerced my daughter and soon-to-be daughter-in-law to wake early on their Friday-day-off, and off we went. My advice to bring extra shoes was helpful because there was water in the parking field despite the gorgeous dawn. Little did we know that the dark skies we had experienced in the late afternoon the day before had brought a torrential storm here. It wreacked havoc on the vendors who had already set up shop. Large puddles persisted as we entered the market. Muck boots were haute couture, and more than just a good look.

Choosing Quilting Patterns & Motifs

Postcard from Sweden: Baby Version

It has been months since I woke up in the middle of the night with clouds of swirling thoughts. When this happens, I feel like I am stuck in sleep mode yet awake. All the unrealistic thoughts that would be dreams--especially those that might be nightmares while asleep are processed while wide awake. It's like having surgery without the anesthetic. The so-called creative, free-associating side of the brain runs without the conscious filter of the other half. A monkey brain. I worry about things in the dark I could talk myself out of in daylight. Yuck. But sleep finally comes, and I swear the next morning to never drink caffeine so late in the day again. 

Cultivating Quilts

Postcard from Sweden for Baby

Early February this past winter, I promised a quilt. A cascade of family events moved life far away from our ordinary pace, and seemed to have taken ages to return. Have you ever uttered to yourself, "I just want to catch up." And so, in spite of spring rains, and all kinds of new things I'm cramming to learn until my brain hurts, I feel closer to caught up than in months. True, we still need groceries, and are hunting for clean laundry throughout baskets parked down a hall, but sorting life on the outside is not the same as our inner life. We first seek peace in our hearts, and watch it follow in our world. 

Studio Reno & Learning ProStitcher Sortware

Charity Quilt Back 
with ProStitcher Premium

Combining a healthy portion of pride, reasonable self-criticism, and buckets full of gratitude to all the help I've been blessed with, I've made good progress. Is it perfect? Heck, no, but it's quilted, and looks darned good! Sure, I was so nervous setting it all up I forgot to stagger the design, but as Beth from Cooking Up Quilts said, "Tell them it was a design choice." Beth, who has been at the other end of the line patiently listening to me fret and wail, and answered with giggles as well as the right answer. I'm so grateful she's several steps ahead of me in learning. Thanks, Beth!

Quilt Studio Renovation

The Great Renovation Begins

There should be a sign on the studio:

New Hours: Severely Limited

or more appropriately labeled,

Warning! Construction Zone
Enter at Your Own Risk!

Gratitude: Piece On for Spring

Watching Spring Creep In

Hasn't this been the longest winter ever? I can't remember a year I wanted spring so badly while the last of its months dragged on with cold, wet days. It was interminable.

Cloth Basket Ideas

Cloth Basket: Quick Sew

How's that for a quick gift in under an hour? My daughter asked me weeks ago for a small gift for a co-worker, and I forgot until the 11th hour. It didn't take long to check this one off, though. Cloth baskets are wonderful for highlighting pretty fabrics, using up remnants, and easy to personalize for individual uses. While I typically use a denser, iron-on batting, it was nowhere to be discovered. I resorted to a quilt batting remnant, and it made for a slouchier construction. A little straight-line quilting adding some body, and more would have even been better in hindsight. 

I would love to make a grouping of smaller baskets using this method, and tack them together in a group. Wouldn't that add a bit of color on a nightstand to hold hair clips, earrings, and those little things that typically get misplaced? 

Come on, Doxie girls.

Let's go sew.

     

Thursday's Tips

Pfaff Creative Performance: New to Me

Over the past winter, I've had my share of problems with my older Pfaff sewing machines. Two shorted out their motherboards (Read, "More expensive to fix than the value of the machine"), and another had tension or mechanical issues. It was a constant rotation to find or borrow one that was in working order. Maybe a newer machine was what I needed. Thanks to a husband with a keen eye to Craigslist he spotted this one. It was only 6 years old, but a buy for me compared to new. I will admit there was an initial learning curve--and I'm far from a whiz on her, but I'm back to piecing finally. She came with all the embroidery attachment bells and whistles, but I'm not even venturing there yet.

Marching Along with Charity Quilts

The Awesome, Official End of the Polyester Batting

Isn't that great texture? I love how this quilt turned out in spite of the waviness. Polyester batting in a comforter thickness is not conducive to detailed quilting. Even with widely spaced stitching, the tension causes it to draw up in spots. Still it will be a wonderful quilt for someone to snuggle under, and the vintage fabrics give it a 60's retro vibe.

It's been a real task to use up the last of the monster roll of poly comforter batting, but this marks the end. Thank you, and Amen! The road ahead is smooth sailing with cotton.

Quilts In the Width of a Week

My $4 Fabric Fun

I love to tell people, "I can make a quilt out of almost any fabric." You don't need the latest and greatest (or highest priced) fabric to make a fantastic quilt. You just need good contrast, and something in common. It's like the great game of SET for those of you who play. Now, I'm not saying this is going to be worthy of entry into Quilt Con--to which I'll be visiting next week, and hope to meet any of you who will be there, too--but wait until you see just how darn cute this new quilt is turning out! And for an honest disclosure, the batik was higher at $5 a yard, not $4.