Quilt show

This weekend was the Austin Area Quilt Guild show.  So many beautiful quilts!  I belong to a very talented guild.  I ended up not entering a quilt this year.  Maybe next time.  

Loved this quilt.  It was made by a different local guild.  

Great composition!  The colors, the spacing, the blank space filled with quilting, I loved everything about this quilt.  

This was another great art piece!  

I know this quilter.  She's gone on to show nationally and I couldn't be more proud of her for putting her art out there for larger and larger audiences.

Perfect combination of pattern and quilting.

I swear y'all.  It was like being there.  I had to wait in line to get a picture of this quilt.  Some quilts are so wonderful that they cause a roadblock and this was definitely one.  It's a smaller art quilt.  

Another quilter I know and admire!  The judges at this year's show were able to hand out some special national NACQJ merit awards and this won one.  I saw the quilter at the show and she was sooooo excited, and well she should be.   

It's all about perspective.  I love this pattern and the quilter used great contrasting fabrics to make it sparkle.

That's a lot of devotion to appliqué!  And, the quilting was spectacular!

Love this shadowing effect.  The quilter cut prints and framed them and shadowed them.  What a simple idea to give such a strong impact!

Another great picture quilt!  I wish I had that kind of patience!

I could go on and on and on, but then this post would take forever to load.  I'll probably show a few more next week.  

I did really well in the vendor's booths.  All the fabric, plus the snips and hemostats came from the guild's boutique shop and cost a total of $40.  The sock yarn came from a different vendor and was expensive, but so beautiful I couldn't resist.  The shop owner dyes it herself.  The penny rug was my splurge for the day.  We walked away and continued to shop and when we got to the end, I mentioned it and Rob, good quilter's husband that he is said 'Go buy it.  Enjoy the splurge!'  (We even joked about buying a long arm and strapping it to the top of the Prius to get it home.)

The penny rug is not my first experiment with wool.  I bought this little kit for practically nothing at a guild boutique shop and excitedly started it and hated it and tried again and hated it.  I was using black floss which the pattern recommended and every little inconsistency showed up like a beacon.  I looked at the website for the designer of the new kit and noticed she always uses a matching thread, not a contrasting one, so I tried that and I like it much better.  You can see the black compared to the matching thread in the medium brown blocks at the bottom right of the pic.  

Rob bought this table runner.  Yes, I'm a quilter and yes, I could have made this.  But look how perfect it is for the foyer.  I would never have come up with this simple yet beautiful idea.

It was a very joyful weekend.  We did our chores and went to the show and I played with fabric and thread.  Quilt show weekend is too relaxing and exciting to let it be shadowed by politics.  Quilting is above politics.  I don't know what these quilters support or worship or believe, but it doesn't matter.  I was able to enjoy their beautiful work and laugh and smile with other quilt enthusiasts as we walked through and marveled at the beauty.  

Everybody have a great week!  

Lane

Cleaning and oiling

This weekend was more cleaning around the house.  I've gotten into some tough projects the last couple weeks; the things I put off and off and off until the stars line up just right and I'm in just the right mood.  

I spend so much time sewing that I forget to take care of my machines.  I'd been oiling the hook race and cleaning out the bobbin case area but that was about it and it was time to take them apart and do some deep cleaning.  When I was making the bedspread, I used some upholstery thread, to make it stronger (I thought).  Anyway, it didn't, but in trying to use it, I'd gotten the tension on both machines all out of whack, so I had to set the tension on them both.  That's my second least favorite sewing machine repair.  My most least favorite is adjusting the timing, which I'm so afraid to touch that it makes me a more careful sewer lest I hit a pin and throw the timing off.  

The Bernini 930 is ready to quilt something.  This is my quilting machine and almost all my quilts have been quilted on it.  It's a machine from the mid 80's but I'm pretty sure that if I keep it oiled, it will outlive me.  It runs almost silent and makes a really nice buttonhole.  I consider it one of my best friends.

This is the Singer 401.  This is what I use for piecing and other sewing.  After I messed up the tension on the Bernini, I finished the things for the bedroom on this machine and am looking forward to making a set of drapes for the studio with it.  This is a great machine and the only thing I wish it would do is needle down.  I have to turn the hand wheel or work the foot pedal just right to get it to stop needle down.  But, it compensates by being easy to use and clean.  This machine belonged to a friend's mother and had a lot of miles on it.  When she passed, the family offered it to me.  I own a lot of vintage machines and this is one of the best, hands down.  I've seen several of these at Goodwill and wish I could have rescued them all. (The Singer 301 is stiff competition.  It's not quite as strong, but it's light and portable or can be mounted in a cabinet.)

When I was cleaning the stove yesterday, I looked out my window and saw this and thought "wish I was there", so I stopped and cleaned the window so I could take a picture and say I wish I was there...but I never made it there.  And if I had, the mosquitoes would have carried me a way, one drop at a time.

That, and this little lizard are the only garden pics I took last week.  I spent yesterday pulling Johnson grass out of the garden.  I've been so busy trying to keep it watered over the summer that I hadn't noticed how much grass had come up.  Between cutting off dead leaves and pulling grass, I filled our composting bin.  I was surprised when I was done to find that my back hurt, but I was so relaxed and stress free.  Weeding is good for the soul.

Remember these guys?

This is who they grew up to be.  Yesterday was the MASH premier's 50th anniversary.  WOW!  50 years.  

My Mom missed the picture of the bedspread so here it is again.

But this is what it looks like most of the time.

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republicans lied to migrants so they could use them in a political stunt, trying to make dems look bad.  Instead, dems accepted them, took care of them and helped them get to a facility better equipped to handle them...you know, like the facilities that are built along the TEXAS border that would help them if our viciously hateful power hungry governor would get out of the way and let them.  I pray that Beto beats the crap out of him at the ballot box.  

In Ohio, at a trump rally, they had the attendees hold their right hands up in a nazi salute.  This shit is real folks.  We are in danger from our friends and relatives who have let themselves get deep into the mega movement.  Unfortunately, there's no way to convince them that they aren't the victims they see themselves as.  They insist they are victims, but can't show any proof of anything except white privilege.  How do you argue with that?  

Everybody have a great week!  Take care of your sewing friends and keep them oiled.  If you've never sewn on a vintage machine, give it a try!  You might find that it does what you want better than a computerized machine where you have to do what it wants.

Lane

between projects

This weekend was all about cleaning up the studio between projects.  I had made or remade 4 shirts and everything for the bedroom, and even though I'd been pretty rigorously picking up behind myself, the pile of neatly folded scraps and ironing boards and box of thread and then all the stuff I just walked by and sat down on a sewing machine because it was convenient...don't make that face, you've done it too.  Anyway, like all good cleaning projects, it resulted in a donation box, which is always a good thing.  

I had a 4th covid booster and my flu shot on Friday.  While I didn't feel bad, I didn't have any energy, so Saturday was a great day for sitting on the floor going through stuff.  And, I came across all the school supplies I bought when I was teaching quilting and realized I already had 100 mechanical pencils, so the box of 100 more wasn't really going to be much use.  And, I found the very last remaining felt tip pen in the world.  And, it still writes.  I'm thinking eBay.  

Anyway, even tho I cleaned up, my studio is not a pic I'm willing to share, so today is mostly plants.  These rain lilies came up last week.  They're not very tall and they don't last long.  The next door neighbors gave them to me when they dug them out of their yard.  I love having them and they make a great statement right now when blooms are sparse. 

A pink Gerber daisy.  This one isn't in enough sun, so I don't get many blooms and am glad to see them when I do.

The lemonade lantana.  Not sure what's up with this one.  It's never done well here because of shade.  We had the tree cut down last year so I expected it to try to take over the space, but it's still compact.  At least it's blooming, right?  And, maybe it's supposed to be compact?

And, the hummingbird bush.  This big bush dies to the ground every winter and comes back in the spring and gets taller than me and blooms these tubular red flowers and every time I look out the kitchen window, I see at least one hummer going after it.  The books call it fire bush and it's about half grown.

Rob's best friend's birthday was Saturday and they had a small get together at his favorite Mexican restaurant.  We had fun and laughs and I made a couple new friends.  Anyway, we took the scenic route to get there and here are a couple pics of the drive.  

The Austin skyline has changed so much!

Our condolences to the Royal Family for the loss of Queen Elizabeth II.  Rob and I agree that while she was not our queen, she was queen all our lives and we will miss her grace, dignity, and constancy.  

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On the other hand,

hahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahahahahhaha!

I know that it is a sin to delight in what is going on with maga and dirty steve b and trump.  I will say the Pledge of Allegiance 5 times and go forth and sin some more because this is wonderful to behold and I am delighted by it!  Let's do lindsay g and ginni t next!  Lock them up!

Everybody have a great week!  Find your passion and get on with it!  No obstacles, no regrets.

Lane

together time

After sewing for a week and then being deposed again on Wednesday, I really needed some down time.  Rob's work has been stressful and he needed it too, so when he suggested that we go on a road trip for some antique shopping and lunch, I was all in.  The forecast was rain all day and we both love to drive in the country in the rain.  

It didn't rain, but there were some beautiful cloud formations.

Even this dark cloud failed to give rain on us or at our house.

There's nothing like defying common sense to bring a couple close after a stressful time.  And, buying dishes defies all, any and every bit of common sense.  But they were on sale (really, really cheap) and they didn't begin a new collection for us.  We already had 4 place settings of this that I've had since before Rob and I got together (and 4 was all we ever needed)  Out of all of it, I only found two chips.  We look for dishes that have pattern, but aren't frilly.  Things like plaids, symbols, leaves.  And, 40-50's era dishware has such cool serving pieces!!!

Okay, so for everything that comes into our packed house, something of equal or greater measure must go out.  So, I spent two days packing two large boxes of stuff to send to our friend that helps support her family by selling it, then rearranging everything to take advantage of that space to accommodate these new pieces.  That got me on a kick and I ended up cleaning out the pantry, the baking cabinet and the knife drawer where I found a knife I had to have because Martha Stewart used one on her show one time but I never used.  (I tried it once, couldn't get the hang of how my hand needed to work and then put it away.)  At some point today, I intend to go through some drawers and see what else I can find.  And one day soon, the sewing room closet!

Okay, so don't let me get ahead of myself...

This week, I spent a little time studying this quilt.  What a lot of time, effort and thread went into all that quilting.  I know I probably show this one off a lot, but I'm particularly proud of it.  The pattern was a BOM for a queen size quilt, but I didn't need a queen size, so I cut everything in half and made this wall hanging.  Then, I quilted the devil out of it.  

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I'm so glad to see Democratic politicians finally taking over the narrative.  In Biden's speech, he spoke about a small group of people who believe that if they can't have what they want, then no one gets anything.  That's the opposite of democracy and the steady march of time has proven that position to be unsustainable.  Time marches on.  Progress is constant, even when forcefully restrained.  Some people are bad for democracy and as citizens of the United States, we have an obligation to use our voices and our votes to speak louder than them.  And, if they want to rise up against the might of the US government, they can, but they need to look at what is happening to the perpetrators of Jan 6 before deciding.  Because whining about being a victim and shouting about anger are one thing, but picking up a gun and trying to overthrow a government of the people, by the people is punishable by life imprisonment or death.  

Everybody have a great week!  If you're celebrating Labor Day, enjoy the day.  On the other hand, if you're like most people I know, you're going to labor on Labor Day because that's what we do when we have a day off work.  If that's you, then make at least part of the day special.  I picked up a steak yesterday, which is infrequent enough around here to make it special!

Lane