They Do Pay Attention

I always show my boys what I am working on when I am quilting, sewing, paper crafting, etc. They always comment, but I never know if they are really paying attention or just making the appropriate sounds in their throats.

Yesterday I found some fabric that had large dice all over it, in green and black. I bought a yard of it with no idea of what I would create with it, but my oldest collects dice so it was a must. When my oldest got home I showed it to him and he was very excited. I told him I had no idea what I would do with the fabric, but at least I would have it on hand.

He looked at the fabric and immediately said "Is there enough for you to make me some pillowcases?" WOW, I hadn't even thought of making pillowcases out of the fabric.

I need to go back tomorrow and get another yard of the fabric and some accent fabric.

I'm so glad they pay attention.

My BFF and I Made Pillowcases!

Today I got to spend the entire day with my BFF.

We started out with lunch at Taste of Home in Wylie, where we could not decide what to eat. We ended up sharing a smoked turkey wrap and a swiss and ham quiche. Delicious.

Our next stop was the Blue Ribbon Quilt Shoppe in Wylie, where they are having a wonderful sale. We both bought fabric. I bought Christmas fabric that was 50% off. She bought fabric for pillowcases.

After a beautiful drive to Rockwall we stopped in at Texas Quiltworks, where I had a wonderful conversation with the owner, Judy Hall. I signed up to take her beginning machine quilting class, and she showed me how to prepare my Blooming Nine Patch for quilting. She was very patient with me, and I learned several things during my brief conversation with her.

Once we made it back to my house, BFF and I made six pillowcases, and left the other six for another day. Here are two of the pillowcases we made today.

Crayon Forest Pillowcase

Playing Cat and Mouse Pillowcase

OttLite® High Definition Craft Tray Organizer

I went to JoAnn Fabrics today because I had a gift card and a friend had suggested I check out the OttLite® High Definition Craft Tray Organizer while it was on sale. Once I saw it I decided to go ahead and purchase it.

The youngest installed it for me, and I quite happy with it. Before I had to keep my thimbles and such in a little can on my end table and then dig in the can when I need something.

My biggest problem with this new tray is going to be the boys. They are always knocking into my lamp when they give me hugs and kisses. Of course, I would rather have a few things knocked onto the floor than give up my hugs and kisses.

Impressed with Thousands of Bolts

I placed my order with Thousands of Bolts on May 7th. My order arrived on May 9th even though I only paid for their cheapest mailing rate.

The fabric was packed nicely in the mailing envelope and the quality of the material was very nice.

The only caveat for anyone wishing to order from there or any internet fabric shop is that sometimes the colors are not exactly like they look on the computer. I loved the fabric, I was just surprised by a couple of pieces. One piece was not the color I expected at all, but if I had paid closer attention I would have noticed the order number and seen that it was not the color I thought it was, not that it matters, it is still beautiful.

Fabric All Organized

I spent Mother's Day organizing my fabric on my shelves.

I chose a triangle shape for the fat quarters and 1 yard cuts so that I could stack the fabric along the shelf and be able to see the colors.

I have not taken the time to sort it by colors yet, but I am really happy to have it all folded and on the shelves.

Moda Bake Shop/The Bookkeeper

This is on the Moda Bake Shop website. Thanks for sending it to me Patsy. Patsy knows I love my Kindle 2. I did not publish all the instructions here, just the pictures, however the step by step directions are terrific on the website.

I am not one to look at different blogs and websites unless I am looking for a particular item, so I appreciate it when someone sends me cool links and/or ideas.

The BOOKKEEPER This is my FIRST project for Moda Bake Shop and I'm really excited to share it with you. One of my favorite things to do besides QUILTING and CRAFTING is READING! So, for Mother's Day this year my DH bought me an Amazon Kindle. I was sooo excited to get it early and I've already read three books and I'm in the middle of two more books. I just love this new technological wonder. It's amazing. It holds over 1,500 books in one place and weighs less than a pound. Wow! So, I made this handy little pouch to protect it. If your purse is anything like mine, it needs protecting! The BOOKKEEPER can also hold any paperback book that measures less than 9 " x 6" and isn't too thick. If the book is thicker it needs to measure approximately 5" x 7" inches. If you need a bigger size you can customize the pattern to fit whatever size book you have. Just measure the circumferences of the book and add at least an inch to the width and length to allow for the seam allowances and flap. The BOOKKEEPER could also be used as a handy little purse or sewing pouch. You could even throw in your make-up for an overnight quilt retreat.

Thousands of Bolts

When I went quilt hopping the last few times, I was a little shocked at the price of fat quarters. They had gone up quite a bit since last summer. So last night I decided to start hunting for a better price on the internet.

I found "Thousands of Bolts." Most of the fat quarters were $1.79 and I found some beautiful fabrics. I went ahead and placed an order very late in the night, but it has already shipped. I only paid for the cheapest shipping rate so it may take a while for it to get here, but I'll post a comment here and let everyone know how it turns out.

Their fabric by the yard prices are very reasonable too, and they have the following manufacturers:

Andover Avlyn Batik Textiles Benartex Blank Textiles Classic Cottons Clothworks David Textiles FabriQuilt Hoffman Kaufman Textiles Kings Road Kona / Seattle Marcus Brothers Merrivale Fabrics Michael Miller Moda Northcott P&B Textiles Quilting Treasures Red Rooster RJR South Seas Textile Creations Timeless Treasures Windham Fabrics

Bali Bowls

Hoffman Bali Pops in Kiwiberry

I spent some of my birthday money on a Bali Bowl pattern and a package of the Hoffman Kiwiberry Bali Pops strips.

I decided I needed something around the house to do when I needed a break from a quilt project. I think these bowls are really pretty and I would like to make at least one to hold some of my goodies.

BFF's Pillowcase

This is the pillowcase that I made for my BFF. She picked out the fabric, and I finished the project for her. I hope she will have only sweet dreams when sleeping on them.

Rockwall Quilt Shop - Amazingly Friendly

Sis and I went to Texas Quiltworks in Rockwall, TX yesterday. Laurie had told me about this shop, and since I always enjoy a drive down 205, I was raring to go. The shop is less than 20 miles from my house so I knew it would be a great trip for Sis and me to get to spend some time together, and not keep her out too long, plus she was looking for some fabric.

I really enjoyed my visit to this shop. The gals there were so friendly. I talked with Judy about the machine quilting class she teaches, and I will definitely be setting up a time to take that class as soon as the boys are out of school.

Like most of the quilt shops in downtown areas I wish there was more light in the building, but they had terrific fabrics, patterns and notions. They were very nice about answering my questions and explaining some techniques to me. To date, I think they are the friendliest shop I have been in. I'm ready to go back.

After that stop we went to the Blue Ribbon in Wylie, where Sis found the perfect fabric for what she is working on. The Blue Ribbon is my favorite when it comes to light in their spaces. Plus I just love the building itself. I love the way they have worked with the stage area and the large brick wall.

Perfect short quilt hop for me.