Road to CA - Day 4 - Party TIme and the Vendor Mall

Party Time is one of the most fun events at Road..it is SUPER popular - evidenced by the number of requests begging for a spare ticket or two! 250 mostly ladies...at 25 tables, playing party games! Prizes are awarded...and there is chocolate! The vendors donate stuff for the prizes - Thank you, Vendors!!!

Here is the stuff I came home with...A Cuddle layer cake, a Machine Quilting magazine, a Stripology book, a crib size batting from Mountain Mist, a Road to CA folding bag (that makes 4 of them that I have now!), 3 fat quarters, a domestic machine ruler work ruler, a pair of super sharp embroidery scissors from Sharon Bradley and a Bohin purse pack...

 The purse pack has needles, a threader, a measuring tape, a pair of fairly sharp scissors and piece of very colorful woven ribbon..all in a cute folding bag..

I walked the vendor mall after my class until it was time to go to Party Time - 4pm to 6pm is the best time (only other better time is Sunday afternoon!) to visit the vendor mall..most of the crowds are gone and you can actually see the booths!...was only interested in a couple of things..I bought a 60 degree ruler - a small one - I figure if I need it longer, the long ruler placed over the edge will do the trick...and a sample pack of battings from The Batty Lady...Poor Batty Lady had their trailer stolen a couple of weeks ago..with 45K in merchandise in it...the trailer was recovered but it had nothing inside when it was found..The Batty Lady said she wished it had been the other way around - the trailer was 100% insured...but the merchandise was only 10%... 

Did see a wonderful applique pressing sheet  at the Sharon Bradley booth that I would love to have if it were not so pricey...its called Fusamat - it has wee little holes that make the fusible not leak out from behind the piece..and it is tacky - Sharon was able to lift up the pieces and all her pieces of the applique stayed stuck! 

I also watched a back basting demo..that lady uses a LARGE needle so it makes definite holes so you know where the edge is supposed to be lined up.

This is the kludged tote for my second class..not the evil one that tore up my back..This one is a laundry basket bungeed to the wheels of the ice chest..wish I had thought of this solution first...
Oh..and this year's tote bag from the Show...bag is canvas and the design just begs to be colored in! Which I presume I will do..but not today...

I am sitting here, wearing my Medieval Torture Device as a back brace. Evidently, its going to take at least 6 weeks to heal up..sigh....can't wait til Wednesday so I can get another massage..

Road to CA - Day 4 & 5 - Luminous Painted Ilusions

Oh...I loved this class with Esterita Austin...

This is a mono-printing technique developed by Esterita..You paint a picture on parchment paper using metallic Lumiere paints...you can enhance with other types of paints or inks - but the base has to be the metallic Lumiere...the painting is then fused to a super sheer nylon organza with MistyFuse...

First, you blow up your selected photo..mine was a picture of a Cape Daisy (or Osteospermum) that was taken by a friend at work:

Then you make a 'cartoon' by tracing over the major details of the subject using Sharpie on a piece of vinyl:

Then you paint over any spots that are going to need other types of paints using white pearlescent Lumiere as the base..you can see the center of the daisy is whitish...then you paint the lights and add layers to make the shading..this is before I added the purple:

 This is after I added the purple, finished the center, and added opaque white highlights and Sharpie 'Stained' accents. Also added some Inktense ink..- you use the Inktense blocks like water color paints...as long as its over the metallic Lumiere..it will transfer!

This piece was done in two chunks...the flower in front, and the background - you fuse the front piece first, then add the back piece..and if anything doesn't transfer, you add more MistyFuse and try again! 

This will get fused to cotton batting, and quilted..not sure if it will be quilted by Retreat or not, but it will be coming to Retreat!

Once again, I did not attend the preview show..it's such a madhouse! And..my back is still bothering me..

Road To CA - Day 1 - Stained Glass Quilting, Allie Style

My contraption and I headed off to class bright and early Monday morning...unfortunately...the closest way to the doors at the Convention center was thru the parking lot..BAH!! my contraption did not keep up on the rough pavement! I ended up wrenching my back trying to keep the machine upright...and my poor back is still whining...

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Oh well..the class though was SPLENDID! I got to meet Allie Aller...and spent the day learning her Stained Glass Quilting techniques:

Here is a picture of the class and the lovelies created

This is my leaf block (with purple bells)

This is my exercise block for the leaves...looks kind of like Tiffany or vaguely Egyptian to me!

And this is my set of blocks from the morning

I  chose to do my 'leading'  in gold..the lady next to me used a Kaffe Facett print...I think the rest of the class used black.. You actually can use anything for the leading as long as it contrasts...and it does not have to be fabric...it can be ribbon, yarn, embroidery thread (the thicker stuff works better). 

The block with blue fabric was my 'trial' from home..I had a wee strip of stuff with fusible that I cut off the bigger block for the class...I had to find out the answers to several questions! Would my machine like stitching over this stuff - its a bit heavier than normal quilting cotton?... what color thread?... what stitching method was I going to use?  I tested narrow zigzag, wide zigzag, feather stitch, short stitch length, long stitch length, single row of straight and parallel straight... would my iron make marks or discolor the gold fabric and would my little Petite Press iron  get hot enough to do fusible?... turns out I had some gold Glide thread that was just right...my machine handles stitching on it just fine, I settled on the parallel straight stitching and the Petite Press works a treat and did not discolor the fabric! Saved me a bunch of 'experimenting' time in class...

I used my 'redneck turntable cutting mat' - an old lazy-susan rotating shelf that the top layer cracked off...with a small cutting mat on it..I think I am going to mount a real cutting mat piece on it..it works quite well!

I am thinking of adding leaves in the ombre blocks..and making it on-point by adding triangles to the sides..maybe the leaves will come in from the setting triangles..we shall see!

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I used the sidewalks on the trip back to the car..only had a small patch of pavement that I had to deal with..my back was on fire by then..

Road to CA 2018

Road To CA 2018 starts Monday!!

I am taking a class on Monday - 'Stained Glass Quilting, Allie Style' from Allie Aller...

I am taking a class on Thursday-Friday - 'Lumionous Painted Illusions' from Esterita Austin....

Attending Party Time and the Jenny Doan lecture...

I shall be pooped by Saturday night!

Today I packed up for Allie's class..and boy...am I glad I did that today...

My sewing machine trolley broke an axle last Road To CA (in the middle of the road, mind you!! I was most displeased)...I 'fixed' it..but the wheels don't really turn too well and they are not something that can just be replaced...

I got a 'scoot around' a while back and have pressed it into service!

So the trolley is now sitting on top of the scoot around...I have it tied from one side handle to the other  with a piece of clothes line  thru those hand hold slots, snapped from the bottom to the top with two bungee cords (I was most fortunate to FIND the bungee cords!!) AND a lifting strap across the top...it's a kludge!

Took it out into my back patio and it works..well... well enough! At least it has the multi-directional spinner wheels...and if I go slow,  it's not too unstable..

I need a new trolley...sadly..I don't think they make this style of trolley anymore..it was a faithful workhorse for many a year...or I need to figure out how to get the bottom section OFF the current trolley and wire the scoot around to the bottom with maybe a piece of plywood for stability.. Project for another day...currently its packed for Monday's class..

Will have to get a picture of my contraption..

Embarrassingly, I find I forgot to post the rest of  last year's Road to CA show...chalk it up to not feeling well, I guess...it was a strange year...

Road to CA 2017 - Day 1

Class today was with Amanda Leins - Fundamentals of FMQ.

Enjoyed the class...hated the *(&#$( machine..the first half of the class, the machine I was on kept shredding the thread...I would be going along fine for a few minutes and blamo, it would shred and break. The tech changed the needle..that didn't help...she adjusted the height of the sensormatic foot...that didn't help...After lunch, I was able to move to a different machine - the lady next to me had to go home. Her machine worked fine! So I don't think it was anything I was doing (you have your doubts when its a strange machine!) Anyway, not feeling the love for Phaff machines, just sayin'

Amanda had this neato overhead camera gizmo that she could project up on the wall..with a Surface computer..I want one!! You can see it in the picture above..

Here are some of the practice drawings we did...

The color pencils show the order of how the motifs are to be sewn....I really like the loopys on the hooked feathers on the left side..

And my practice piece...not even half of the quilt sandwich I came with...

Oh..the air pressure in SoCal is so radically different today due to three back to back storms coming in  - the rest of the quilt show is going to be very, very soggy! Not attending the preview night this year..I have a monster headache. Hoping once it starts raining, the air pressure won't drop anymore.

Tomorrow I am going to see the quilts, go thru the vendor mall and attend Party Time - it's supposed to be a blast..there are prizes!

I had to repack all of my supplies for Friday's class..the wheelie case I have used for years decided it was a great time to break - right in the middle of crossing the road between the convention center and the parking lot! I don't think its repairable..I will just have to get a new set - wonder if they have any cases with the 360 wheels that I can afford.

Fire Mountain Finished!

First finish of 2017 - Fire Mountain!

I bound it with some stripey fabric that has all of the same colors...I did not make continuous binding since I wanted more control over the placement of the stripes so I had to learn a different method of creating the miters - there are videos out there for a Binding Miter Tool (but I just used the corner of an envelope) that show the technique. I think it turned out very well!

Made a ZipZap bag for a Tea I am going to at the end of the month. Pattern is here...I did modify it a wee bit - I made the back pocket full length so my cell phone fits better..I am pretty happy with how it turned out! Those quarter inch straps though...those were hard!  Oh...and I did not use canvas, so the seams were not quite as bulky. I like this bag design in that it does not need 'hardware' for the straps..the other bag I made last year has lobster claws and rings...but it also attaches to my jeans belt loops for a hands free mode!

This is the front of the bag..added a silver dogwood blossom to the zipper...

This is the back of the bag..the pattern has the back pocket only as long as the color part in the center...on mine, the pocket goes all the way down to the bottom...

More Fire Mountain Progress

I asked the same question in my last post to my quilting forum and got some tips on how to keep the Monopoly from breaking so much..I ordered a package of Superior Top Stitch needles and they came in the mail today (love Amazon Prime!!) So OF COURSE, I had to try one out...
Verdict..they are worth the almost 2 bucks per needle!

Pretty much done with the center of the quilt...just need to ditch around all of the appliques. That may not take as long as I think with the thread not breaking anymore.
Here are some hopefully detailed enough shots that you can see the quilting....

Poor quilt needs a bath..cat fur and chalk marks.

Oh and I discovered something else...I am using Grabberoos quilting gloves and was having a dickens of a time with the Monopoly sticking when I trimmed the start threads. Found if I used a lint roller, the trimmings came right off. Have to remember to pack that for both of my Road classes which are going to be FMQ...

Fire Mountain Progress

Spent most of the day working on Fire Mountain..I took all the old hand quilting out, replaced the batting with Dream Cotton instead of the poofy wool and started FMQ on the top..its stabilized...and I have started on the leaf vine in the green areas...

much happier with the quilting now..
but..frustrated with the machine..it keeps breaking the Monopoly...

Question...what does it mean when quilting with a FMQ foot when the top thread does not catch and form a stitch with the bottom thread? I have tried adjusting the tension and that seems to help some...fortunately it seems to mostly happen at the start of a line of stitching..

New Year's Eve

Wow...forgot about posting to the blog for half of 2016...sigh..I will really try to do better next year!

2016 in review:
Finished a few quilts... Echos of the Grand Canyon, Goose, Goose, Duck; Dragonflies Paradise, Hexie Daisy, Thread-Sketching Bouquet, Embellished Antique Linen, Summer Quilt for Dad, Star Mug Rug, Doodled Hexie Mug Rug
Worked on a few more quilts ...Fire Mountain Bargello, Desert Landscape, Wee Hexie Basket, Cape Blanco Light, Columbia Gorge...
Ate lots of good meals...
Went on several trips - Arizona, Texas, Nevada and the annual Quilter's Run in So Cal
Laughed a lot...
Cried some...
DGD moved to Tennessee..we are going to try visit soon..
Still working...Retirement is looming though!

Hope 2017 will be a great year!

Here are the Christmas gifts I made this year:
Squirrel Lovie

 Frog Prince Lovie

 Wolf - kinda a lovie..but I stuffed him...

 Three French Hens

Hedgehog for my hedgehog loving Sis: (not a Christmas Present!) - I had to try out my PomPom makers I bought on the Quilter's Run...amazingly..they work!

I discovered Corner to Corner crochet...it works up soooo fast...

 ...that I made a whole passel of washcloths and handed them out at the Christmas party!

Our tree...

 ..with a silly squirrel under it!

And the mountains out the back on Christmas Day - as close to a White Christmas as us flatlanders in So Cal get!

A Star for a Star!

My daughter really, really likes stars...so I made a star wall hanging/mug rug for her birthday:

I fastened the ribbon holders on with a pair of starfish earrings. The star hanger I got on the Quilter's Run a couple of weeks back.

Paper pieced...this is about as much paper piecing as my tolerance allows. I must be getting a bit better though, since I did not cut any pieces too small and only sewed one seam with the fabric upside down when my mind wandered a bit..I have learned to use HUGE pieces of fabric for paper piecing, and if I cannot see the right side of the bottom fabric when I am stitching on the line...its wrong!

All star fabric, even the label on the back...

Happy 4th of July and A Summer Quilt for Dad

Happy 4th of July! Hope everyone had a great holiday!

I finished the top for a summer quilt for my Dad..I made him a flannel one for winter, but..he needs a summer weight one..He sleeps in a recliner due to some breaks in a couple of bones in his back..I made a pocket for his feet in the winter one. this one will also have a pocket for his feet...

This is mostly a kit that I bought on the Quilter's Run last weekend..I had to add the beige and red stripes at the top and bottom since the kit by itself is not long enough...I frenched all of the seams so that no straggly threads would show through since there is no batting..and the backing is a linen duvet cover - half of which is making the pocket for the feet.

Not sure yet if I will just birth it...or if it will get some quilting...I am thinking around the center panel, around the RWB stripes and across the beige stripe - maybe around the eagle and the USA..but..we will see when it gets down to it!

HST Column Quilt

The HST Column quilt as a top:

Finished quilt: (sorry the color is bad - my normal snap camera is trying to die....and I used the cell phone camera instead..yuk!)

When I showed the top to my Mom, she thought if would make a marvelous summer lap quilt...so I finished it for her - just backed it with one of the remaining bigger pieces of fabric scraps and folded the edge to the front instead of binding.. I did try the quilting in the 'column' part to see if using a different color of thread would make the column stand out a bit more...the result of that experiment: it really wasn't worth it..it would require a way more dense quilting than I had the patience for to get it to change color...best option if you want the column to be noticeable...make those HSTs with a different color!

Here is a closer up picture:

But...Mom likes it and it will serve a useful purpose..and now all three of us have a quilt made out of those dress scraps from long ago.

Embellished Antique Linen

I saw a piece on Kelly Cline's blog that intrigued me.... http://www.kellyclinequilting.com/2016/04/frame-a-quilted-hankie/

Hum...I have an antique linen piece - I think it was an antimacassar  - one of those linen pieces ladies used to put on furniture to protect the places where human skin  or hair would hit the upholstery to reduce the damage to a replaceable piece...perfect!

I soaked it in Terial Magic and arranged the cotton lace - it was badly scrunched! The Terial Magic made it stiff enough to embroider without a hoop. Note there is some damage on this piece (it adds 'character'!) - I glued the broken threads down with OkToWashIt glue..not that I ever intend to actually WASH this piece!

I embroidered the center - making sure to cover up that hole with the big pink rose! I used the silk ribbons I got from Kathy at Retreat (she decided to give up all her beads and threads - a couple of other ladies at the Retreat and I split up the booty! Whoohoo!) Antique linen is pretty fragile...I almost wrecked the piece a couple of times - but manged to hide the boo-boos!

Wool batting, two layers of  plain teal fabric from the donation table at Retreat and I was off and running...

Added some antique lace around the edge and buttons from my Grandmother's stash...et voila'!

I usually name my pieces something more exciting than 'Embellished Antique Linen'...but I have no ideas on what would be better for this piece.

Progress on the HST Column Quilt

The center is put together. It probably could have been arranged better, but I grew weary of arranging the blocks. I ended up printing out a sample of the layout so I could get the pattern right,

Here is the original layout..the column is not very obvious...but the blocks were sprinkled around nicely...

Here is the center after I sewed it..I decided to group the colors to make the column stand out more.

Its pretty small - 21 x 35...so I am going to add a resting strip and a border..

I rummaged around and found a pile of scraps that I will use to make a piano key border...could not find any more of the light blue, but did find a piece of the dark blue I used to make the sashings on Heart's Garden..there are strips already cut that will go almost all the way around and hopefully I will have enough for the binding out of the same dark blue...

And I have enough of the blue plaid or the green and purple flower (top right corner of center) to make the back.

HST Column Quilt

I need a new project like I need another hole in my head..but..when did that ever stop a quilter???

A couple of friends have made HST column quilts and I got to thinking about a stack of HSTs that I have had from when I made my sister her quilt from the scraps of clothes that our Mom made us when we were little..and how cute they would be as a column quilt...

I was going to make them into pinwheels..and even had stitched a  couple up..but they were sad, sad lumpy, crookedy pinwheels...the HSTs were not all the same size and in my ignorance as a young quilter, I though I could just...make....them...fit...

NOT...

Anyway, the HSTs have been hanging around in my quilting studio, ripening, for a LONG, LONG time! First order of business was to deconstruct those two very sad pinwheels..and trim up the HSTs to an even size..I found the smallest one..and that is governing the size of the rest of the blocks...

It is turning into an interesting project...

I am using a gizmo my Dad made for me a few years ago...its called a Square Up (my design, his execution)

It is making the trimming of these blocks really, really easy..especially since I acquired a set of square templates at Retreat last year on the donation table that have a groove on the diagonal which makes it very easy to line up with the seam..the arm holds the template from moving, the base rotates (there are levers to make it go only one way or free rotate)...and it folds up and has a handle so I could take it to class if I ever were going to one that needed to cut blocks (not usually my cup of tea...though...this IS really easy to use - might have to reconsider that option!)

Here is a block before trimming:

That same block after trimming:

And the two stacks of blocks - the trimmed ones look soooooo much neater!

Will post more when I have all the blocks trimmed and laid out...

Mandarin Duck Progress

I have quilted the center of the Mandarin Duck and added binding, which is now finished...
I am going to add quilting in the brown border - Flying Geese...with feathers in the corners, as a nod to Jenny Bowker, the teacher of the class (Images in Landscapes), who uses traditional blocks to expand the size of her quilts to HUGE...
Still have to decide if I want to do the FG in Monopoly like the rest of the quilt or brown quilting thread...but that will be for another day!

Here is what I started with...the picture of the Mandarin duck was taken by my daughter at the LA Arboretum...

Here is what that picture got turned into in class..

...and here is the quilt before I finished the binding...

The quilt is currently drying from being blocked..