A new project

One of my goals for 2013 is to get my sewing room more organized.

 That means several different things, including being able to get to the item I need, when I need them.

Right now, my patterns, rulers, miscellaneous notions and a lot of other random sewing stuff are stored in a two drawer lateral filing cabinet. While this is great for the amount of space, it's not so good for organization. Everything is just kind of piled in there. And whatever I need, it's almost always at the bottom of the drawer.

I've been searching for a better storage solution for months. I had a tall chest with many drawers in mind. For whatever reason, the Goodwill I normally go to has been putting outrageous prices on their furniture lately. Prices such as $130 for a smallish entertainment unit made of pressboard and laminate, with broken drawers and missing knobs. Really outrageous.

So, imagine my surprise when I found this.....

A tall dresser with 7 drawer. Made of real wood. Made locally about 10 years ago. Priced at....$45!

Yes it needs some work. There are a couple of generous dings around the edges.

And the dark stain has to go.

But for that price, I'm willing to put in a little elbow grease and buy some paint!

I can't wait to get this baby prettied up and ready for use.

Seriously???

Oooooops!

I don't know how I managed to do this. I didn't even notice it until I was quilting the next row and got to this point. I heard no protest from my machine or the walking foot when they ran over this poor safety pin.

Now the question.....do I rip out the quilting to remove the pin? Or do I try to cut off the clasp to free it?

Hmmmm.....

QuiltCon Linky Party.....Five things about me

The Modern Quilt Guild is hosting a Linky Party for those attending QuiltCon later this month. I really wanted to go, but hadn't planned on it....until my Mom gave me an early birthday present by helping with the travel expenses. Yay Mom!

The MQG asked us to post a picture of ourselves. Here it is:

This is me, last January, with my dog Harry. I look pretty much the same now. And if you're going to QuiltCon, you'll probably see me wearing that same pink shirt!

The MQG also asked that we list 5 things people might not know about you, so here you go:

1. I'm currently the President of the Bakersfield Modern Quilt Guild. (I'm traveling to QuiltCon with the other 4 ladies on our board. Look out Austin!!)
2. I'll buy almost anything if it comes in PINK! (Okay, if you know me, that shouldn't surprise you.)
3. I made my first quilt in the mid 90's. I followed Eleanor Burns' Quilt In A Day book. It took me a lot more than a day.
4. I met my husband at a Country Western bar. He loves to tell people that I picked him up in a bar.
5. My dream job would be to run my own fabric-coffee-book shop.

Design Wall Wednesday

I've finished 9 blocks for my Scrappy Trip Along quilt.

I'm hoping to make 21 more blocks, for a total of 30. And I think I'll add a solid gray border to tie it all together.

Just keep cutting.....Just keep cutting....

For the past three evenings, I've been cutting strips.

Lots and lots of strips.

180 strips to be exact. 

Now they're ready to be sewn into a quilt top.

I'm participating in the Scrappy Trip Along.

Online.

With more than 700 other quilters!

First finish of 2013 - Patti's Patchwork

Well, I had hoped to have this quilt finished before Christmas, but you know how things go around the holidays. Too much stuff to do in too little time.

Another of my aunt's wanted me to make her a quilt and of course I obliged. This one is for my mom's younger sister. Her favorite colors are slate blue and chocolate brown. I found a Fat Quarter bundle with  a nice mix of blues and browns, then chose several other fabrics to go with them.

I based this quilt on the pattern "Happy-Go-Lucky" from Camille Roskelley's book "Simplify". The original pattern includes corner pieces in a neutral fabric on every other square in the middle. I tried this on one block and just didn't like the look. The additional fabric was too distracting.

Since this is for my Aunt Patti, I named this quilt "Patti's Patchwork. It finished at approximately 65" x 75". I wanted it to be extra warm, so I found a beautiful flannel print for the backing. The paisley goes pretty well with the blues and browns on the front.

The quilt arrived at it's new home today and my aunt loves it! It's so rewarding to be able to actually make something that will bring warmth and comfort to a loved one.

My first start for 2013

Our guild is participating in the Modern Quilt Guild's current fabric challenge. We each received a Fat Eighth bundle of fabrics from the Madrona Road line by Violet Craft for Michael Miller. The challenge is to make something, preferably quilted, using only fabrics from this line and any solids we wish to add.

My plan is to make a throw size quilt using a traditional block with these fun fabrics. I've always liked the Log Cabin block and who doesn't like starting off a new year with something simple? I'll also be using several different solids to make the overall look more modern. I hope it comes out the way I picture it.

(And that block isn't really as wonky as it looks. It's just hanging funny.)