A Short Video of some Motifs/Techniques Learned in the Free Courses!
Okay, if your are young...or not a fan of American Western movies...you might not get the title...which is a part to a cowboy song. But, I'm back home again. The trip to Huntsville was so very much fun for me! Kim was a wonderful hostess and has the coolest family! The ladies at the Madison guild were very gracious and I really enjoyed sharing my crazy journey with them on Thursday night. The gals that signed up for the crazy quilt class on Saturday just were a hoot! I enjoyed the class even more than them I think! We had a wonderful time stitching and laughing....at and with each other!
I also did my part to help the local economy...and found some treasures!
My Jingle applique quilt was in need of some additional red, yellow, and green...so I'm thinking these will be just great!
There is a plan for a Sunbonnet Sue mini-quilt...so I needed some 30's fabrics to create that.
My ideas for the applique medallion pattern include using batiks for the flowers...and I really scored with these colors!
Lastly, I found some beads for hatpins and even a couple that will make great cabochons! Plus, some needles, glue pen, and other treasures! It's nice to have a chance to shop and actually touch the fabric...instead of buying on-line.
Oh wait, I almost forgot...these lucious fibers and threads! I'm just going to love working with these on my crazy quilt projects!
Thanks again Kim and all the ladies of Madison/Huntsville for such a wonderful visit!
I recently ordered some batiks on-line...for another applique project. A dear, dear lady sent me a quilt pattern because I commented that I loved her finished quilt project. (Such a lovely friend indeed!). So, I want to do this quilt...but did not have enough batiks in the browns and blacks needed. I received the above two fabrics...and, as you can tell, they are both the exactly the same thing.
I contacted the company...and the young lady in customer service was so nice...and helped me determine which of the fabrics ordered had not been sent. She is sending it out to me right away...AND has instructed me to keep the "wrong" fabric as their apology. Now, this is just a single yard of fabric...but still, that's a nice thing to do. So, when I need the border fabric print for this project...I'll be going back to Connecting Threads.com to purchase it...because they were so nice in dealing with this issue.
FireMountainGems now has buttons! Thought you might want to know.
You know that you can never have enough buttons!
And, these are really pretty...just right for those button clusters in your crazy quilt work.
Hugs,
We all love a great deal...so, let me tell you about the one I found. It started as a fluke...during a trip to a quilt shop...while on retreat in Missouri. I saw some thread by Ricky Tims that I thought might be okay for crazy quilt embellishment...but was not sure. So, I bought two spools. I don't remember the price, but it was less than $10 a spool. Finally, I got around to using it...and it was similar to 1/16 braid that I have from Krenik. I checked...the spool of braid was 10 meters...and the spool I just picked up from the quilt shop was 110 yards. Wow! Quite a difference! And the Ricky Tims thread was also cheaper than the Krenik braid for sure.
So, I went hunting for more...and found that Superior Threads makes the thread for Ricky...it is called Razzle Dazzle...and is used primarily for the bobbin work in art quilts. So, hey...before they realize we crazy ladies will use it to...and jack up the price...jump on the train and get you some.
I ordered more...and now have all the colors above. The white spool has 88 yards...but all the other colors seem to come in 110 yard spools.
I got mine from Soft Expressions for $6.30 a spool. But, you can order from Ricky Tims site too...he sales them for $6.99
The thread has about nine threads in the twist, and holds up really well for seams in lengths about 20 inches long. And, you can even do French knots with it!
I know, I know...I'm an enabler...but, I can't help it...this really is a great deal!
You don't have to spend a load of cash to find some really cool things! Check out these items I got yesterday at my local Family Dollar store....it's a kind of "dime store"...but everything isn't a dollar. But, not far from it!
This box is the last of their summer line of boxes..and matches some I got earlier this year. Cost: $4 ea
Socks! Aidan is always needing these! A single package has 4 pairs. Cost: $3.50 ea
Mini diaper bags! The blue and green come without a bow...and the pink has a lovely brown bow. I think these would make great bags for little girls to have their "baby clothes" and things in. For Aidan, it will be a great bag for her to keep her "stuff" in to take on overnights! For me, it will be a great little organizer for projects to take and keep everything together. Cost: $7 ea
If I rode bicycles..it would be great to just have a bit of lunch and a couple of water bottles tucked in the side pockets. And the inside is lined in a water-resistant fabric too!
Oh, and the little blue headband in the first photo (I know some of you will ask)...was only a buck!
Great finds...don't you think?
This week I received Kate Haxell's book, The Stitch Bible in the mail. My craft book club ran a sale last month, four books for $40...and I just can't pass up great books for ten bucks each. The first three were easy for me to pick...but the fourth took a while. And, frankly...I had not heard of Kate Haxell before, but was intrigued by the blackwork bird on the cover.
So, my expectations were not high for the book, I just hoped it would not be a total loss of ten bucks.
Wow, was I in for a surprise! This might be one of the best books I own! It is certainly is one that will be used, and often.
First, because it covers several different types of stitching...embroidery, hardanger, crewelwork, goldwork, pulled thread, canvaswork, and drawn thread. Second, because it has great photographs of the process for each, tons of stitch examples, and a project for each type of stitching.
It also includes a section on getting started...threads, fabrics, hoops, etc. And at the back of the book are the charts and templates, lists of suppliers, and a full index.
So many ideas...so little time!
I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys stitching!
Pam, my stitching buddy, came to visit yesterday. "I'm not working today, and thought I'd go to Hobby Lobby. Do you want to go?"
uh....YES! Of course!
But before we left she gifted me with lovely hairly yards. These will make great plant life for under the sea type crazy quilt or landscape blocks!
And, a huge stack of out of print needlework magazines!
It was hard to leave these...even for shopping!
Picked up a new hole punch (1/16th size for templates) in the scrapbook section at Hobby Lobby. Then some headbands for Aidan in the beads section. I had to close my eyes and not even walk down the bead aisle...cause I just am overflowing with beads as it is!
Yes, it was hard to pass them up!
In the wedding supplies and glassware...found Aidan a mirror compact, some "A" napkins, and a perfume decanter. Napkins were a buck...and the other two were five bucks each! These are now hidden until her birthday in November!
Went to the pet store, where Mr. Buddy also got a gift!
Next, we stopped off at the Center of Hope donation store...and it was blue tag day. Everything with a blue tag was 99 cents! So, found several fancy dresses for Aidan to use playing dress-up. Everything I get for dress-up gets turned inside-out and put into the washing machine; then the dryer on low heat. If it makes it out okay...then it is used. If not, it goes into the trash. You'd be surprised how many gowns (even wedding gowns) laundry just fine!
And last, to the mall! Found two lovely headbands with fancy adornments...that the Diva will love!
It was a good day!
Great friends, super shopping!
We also had time to stop off and visit with Ms. Francis, our third part of the pal trio...who has been under the weather lately. It was great to just have some time to sit and chat with "grownups"! Glad you're feeling better Francis...and hope that you are strong enough to go shopping next time! Hugs!
Hope everyone had a great Easter Sunday today...mine was great! Breakfast with my daughter and granddaughter and spend a good part of the day with Mom. I stitched and she cooked...she wanted to do chicken and dressing...and I did not argue with her! It was tasty!Then, she asked me to go back to Family Dollar and get her two boxes..."like you got yesterday". Ha! I knew she could not resist!So, off I went in search...and got the last two! AND, look what else I found while there! The little chests are just adorable, and I love the trash can too. There was a larger one, which would be great with towels rolled up inside...or fabric! But, I settled on the smaller one. I'm thinking that it is small enough to fit behind my machine, and catch all of my strings and such.Treasures...just treasures!
Well, first off...my muse and I actually agreed on something today! Two things....first, we hate yard sales!...not going to them, Having Them! And, actually WE didn't have one...my sister and sister-in-law did...in my (Mom's) front yard. I didn't even help out...and I'm just tired from walking around all day! My muse is just upset because she didn't get anything done..and none of the clothes fit her!Second thing we agreed on, is that we love sales!
And especially when they are sales on cardboard boxes...pretty cardboard boxes and cardboard trays!
Wanted to share...if y'all have a Family Dollar store near you...then, RUN, do not walk...and get some of these! (sorry to all the ladies that don't have this store near you...especially you international girls. But, you can drool over these and then reciprocate by sending me photos of all the luscious lace and pretties you can get that I can't....hugs!!) I went looking for Easter Candy sales...but got little of that. Found these boxes in four sizes...and got the smallest two sizes only. Then when I went to check-out...saw this lovely matching trays...got four of them!
Smallest Lid Box is 8 x 10 inches. ($4)
Medium Lid Box is 10 x 12 inches. ($5)
Trays are 9 x 12 inches ($2)and DID YOU SEE THE PRICES!
Run before these are all gone!These are so pretty holding your threads, ribbons, and fibers...and keep them together.(they also are good to stash candy in; so hubby (or granddaughter) can't find it...just saying!)Oh, and if you have a desk...these trays would make lovely IN and OUT boxes!
Well, I did. I mean, I have a lot...but like diamonds...you can never really have enough! Especially when you find glorious colors like these...at a great, great price too!
And, check out the candle...lace...and charms! Love all of my goodies!Oh, you want to know where I got such a great deal!Sure, I'll share...www.crazyquiltingsupplies.comNow, isn't that easy to remember!
