stitch and stash.

Remember the seeing stars quilt top that I finished and asked your advice on?  I am hand quilting it now and hoping to enter in Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival, at the end of the month.

Here are a couple more goodies I picked up on my trip to Salt Lake City.
I pretty much stuck to just purchasing a few fat quarters.
I was specifically hunting Japanese fabric (my new love) to begin building my tiny stash.  And limited my funds to just that.

I did however come home with a few free goodies through give a ways.  This particular stack was in a goody basket, at The Material Girls quilt shop.  Wasn't that so nice of them?  We were all told to take one little stack, and this was my choice.

I won this little tin with two fabric bars inside ...

Aren't those so sweet?  

My recent table topper was made with 

Breakfast at Tiffany's candy bar pack.  

I just cut each slice into 2.5" squares for my four patches.  

And guess how I won this ...

by wearing something I had made.

The granny square scarf!

You can find it in my Etsy shop as well.

My daughter has since commandeered mine.

Better make another one before winter comes our way.

weekend reading.

Oh my goodness.  I *love love love* this magazine!  Every page is full of ideas and the photography is fabulous!  As part of Vanessa's photography class, we were all to look through magazines that were handed out, notice pages we liked and define why.  Then at the end of class, we were all gifted with the magazines!  Wasn't that so sweet? 

Here is a fantastic book, I have never seen before.  I actually won it (in one of the bajillion special give a ways at The Sewing Summit).  It is just packed with fun ideas for blocks that can be made into mini quilts as well as larger ones.

 (from The Sewing Summit flickr page)

I took Amanda's class on making mini quilts.  That girl is so creative!!  And super fun!   I think all of us left out of her room determined to make mini quilts!  I know I sure am!!  :o)  What a fun way to show off those tiny scraps of fabric that you love and are unwilling to part with, not to mention, I would love to learn different embroidery stitches and would be fun to do it on a much smaller scale.
Here are some samples of what she has created:

 this is a note book cover-look at those tiny stars-I believe they are paper pieced-note to self ... 

learn paper piecing!

this was my absolute favorite

see that star in the center?

not a fabric scrap ... it is also paper pieced

and super tiny pointy points

...swoon...

Here are a couple of the name tags that ladies made and hung in the front of the class, that just stole my heart ... how cute are they??

sewing summit series. special memories.

Amy: Diary of a Quilter, Melissa: The Polkadot Chair,
me, Amy: Amylouwho

I just don't know where to start.  My heart is overflowing with special memories of meeting the sweetest of ladies, some I have known through blogging and specifically set out to meet up with (Amy from Diary of a Quilter and Vanessa from V and Co.) and others started out as strangers and then became my new blogging friends.  :o)

Amy teaching Quilting 101.  What a fabulous class!  I learned about basic quilting methods, thread types (which I never knew!), techniques, and we even saw some of Amy's gorgeous quilts!  Thank you so much Amy for answering my question about turning the centers of half square triangles!  It was perfect to see it in real life!

Amylouwho ... in real life!  She is so much fun to be around.  When you talk with her, she makes you feel like you have known each other your whole life!  I am so glad we had time to hang out!

Vanessa taught an awesome photography class.  She showed us how to take the best pictures, with lighting, staging your props, and several fabulous hints on how to best present the photos taken.  I was laughing so hard in these pictures, it is a miracle they were taken.  We had just finished talking about how to best take a flattering picture.  Oh goodness!  What fun!

Amy Smart is the sweetest lady.  She is so humble and kind and I am so glad we met and had time to really get to know one another.  I miss her already!  :o)

A few times I gasped when I met some one (like Allison from Cluck Cluck Sew, Amy from Amylouwho, Jessica from Twin Fibers, Melissa from The Polkadot Chair) - so ya - I lost all self control and probably appeared to be the biggest dork, but I just couldn't help it.  I have admired them and followed their tutorials, and in essence, some have taught me how to quilt, via the www!  So to meet them and chat, seeing how humble and dear they are in real life, well, ya, I could not contain my delight!  :o)

sewing summit series.

I took 6 classes while at The Sewing Summit.
They were so much fun and rich with suggestions on how to better either your blog, your photography, quilting, all the while with the mind set of doing what you love and love what you do.  It was awesome!
Would you like to read a few of my notes?

My first class was Documenting Your Creativity: Blogging and Social Media
taught by Dana from Old Red Barn Co.  Her basic approach to blogging has always been to record for her children, who she is, what they have done or are doing, and if you have read her blog you can feel the warmth of her heart, through her writing.  She emphasized the importance of having a clear focus, keeping the content of our blogs interesting and engaging.  Not to mention, quality photos make it interesting.  And in my little note book I have this:

* smile * be nice * make friends *

 (from The Sewing Summit Flickr page)

Don't compare your blog to others.  Let your blog reflect YOU.  And have fun!

(Dear Dana.  It was so wonderful to meet you and could kick myself for not taking our picture.  Loved your class!!)

THERE IS STILL TIME TO ENTER MY GIVE A WAY!

sewing summit series.

I hope you will not tire of me telling all about my Sewing Summit experience ... it may take a few days.  It was just so much fun and I have never met so many kind ladies all at once.  Truly.  This is an event I will not forget!

However ... I was not sure where to start.  Perhaps, since we all love pretty fabrics ... you can see what I picked up on our shop hop.

The Shop Hop was a blast!!  We visited three quilt shops.  The fabrics posted today are all fat quarters from Quilts, Etc.  (our second of the three stops)
When we approached the shop, it was announced that the fat quarters were all $1.75.  Hello??!!  Wasn't that so sweet of them?
Not only that, as we entered the shop, we were each handed a yummy bag of taffy, and each one was numbered ... for a give a way!  They served a delicious assortment of bagels, cream cheese, coffees, pastries, and I believe I saw some juice.  It was fabulous!

THERE IS STILL TIME TO ENTER MY GIVE A WAY!

I.had.so.much.fun!

 And I will tell you all about it!

I got in last night after 10 pm

and will be getting back in the 

swing of things today.  

The Sewing Summit (first annual!)

was an amazing time!!  

Oh my gosh! 

You HAVE to go next year if you can.  

Start stashing your pennies now!

I am learning Twitter today as well-

any suggestions out there??  Just getting 

my feet wet for the first time!

be still my heart.

Oh boy.  I am just going to say it.  I am nervous.  
I fly out tomorrow for The Sewing Summit and on one hand am over the moon giddy that I am going.  On the other hand ... well ... I am nervous.  Not about the flying (I love to fly), not about the traveling (I love to travel), it is the "being there" that has my heart all a flutter.  I hope I don't chicken out and spend the weekend in my room (just kidding - I would never do that - however the thought has crossed my mind).  I have packed and repacked my clothes.  I have become a bit of a country mouse these past few years and now I feel like I am heading to "the big (chic) city" and well, that sort of scares me a bit.  Not the city itself (I have a good sense of direction and not in the least bit worried about getting lost), it is the mingling amongst those who I have admired from a far.  And when I get nervous, I do one of two things.  1.  Shut down and just observe and not say a word (which may appear conceited).  2.  Won't shut up and say too much (which may appear prideful).  Oy!

Say a prayer, will ya?!

a little sewing.

With my upcoming trip to The Sewing Summit, 
I was wanting to have a few bags to tote a long with me.

 

For starters, I made this dirty clothes bag out of a thick cotton pillow case and draw string (also made by me).  I found the tutorial over at In Color Order.  You can find Jeni's tutorial here. 

A bag for my shower shoes.  It can actually be reversible, but I really like it just the way it is.

Here is another draw string bag that will house my hand quilting, for the plane ride.

I really love this one.  The colors are so soft and pretty.  The lining is a very favorite sheet that I have managed to use in a dozen different ways ... and ... I still have left overs!!  The fabric on the outside is from a recent trade mentioned here.

Here is what I will be working on in flight.  The lines are drawn where I want my stitches to go, just needs pinning to the back.  The stitches will be in brown, and thought it would be a fun, little, soft, fall touch.  (do you think I have enough adjectives there?!)

And last but not least ... a covered note book to fill over the weekend, with lots of neat ideas and helpful

hints, so that I may quilt better, blog better, and photograph better.  That is my goal anyhow!  It still needs some embellishments.  Will show you what I decide on.

On a side note : I lit my little candle.  I love the scent (Autumn-Bath & Body Works) and can hardly wait to give one away to you ... as well as this adorable candle holder.  We will be twins.  ha ha ha ... remember that in the 8th grade??  

Don't forget to enter my give a way below!!

linking to: 

are you going

 

on the one hand ... 

i am over the moon excited about attending

on the other hand ... 

i am more nervous than ever

there will be so much talent present

under one roof and it blows my mind

that this amazing opportunity is 
really happening for me

my nervousness stems from knowing how talented these ladies are and how new i am in the quilting circles.  plus, i have wanted to meet a number of them and here they will be.  
oh sweet mercy.  i hope i don't make an
absolute fool of myself.  i am a little shy, but with a genuine love of people and i typically wear my heart on my sleeve.
that is where being a ding dong may slip in ... what if i just gush over these ladies and they think i need to be committed.
oh boy.

please let me know if you will be attending and i will try not to loose all sense of 
dignity when we meet. :o)

looonnnggginggg.

 

Oh how I wish I could attend!

Three of my favorite bloggers/quilters  

(Vanessa, Allison, and Amy)

will be teaching!  Can you imagine?!

Are any of you attending??