More family photos

I did work about an hour this afternoon on RWB HeartStrings blocks but most of today was spent with Chris and Keith. We had brunch at Hell's Kitchen and then took the light rail to Minnehaha Falls and walked to Fort Snelling.

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A beautiful day

Chris got here this morning and we spent most of the day outside, walking, biking, and then after a home cooked meal....an evening stroll.

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RWB HeartStrings blocks

Since I needed to do a little rearranging in my sewing room for Chris to sew some RWB HeartStrings blocks with me this weekend, I decided to make a few blocks while I was at it.

This room is still a mess but I think we can work in here. If you'd like to make some blocks with us this Memorial Day weekend you can view the guidelines at the HeartStrings blog.

While I was working upstairs - look who found the quilt I'd folded and set on the chair. Chesty needs his summer haircut but I wasn't able to get him an appointment until Tuesday so he's really curly right now!

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Quilty gifts

No quilting today but did get my errands done and look at the goodies that came in the mail from Deb. I know you can't tell from the photo but the fat quarters are autumn colors, the squares are brown and pink, and the small baggie has an assortment of trims and items to use on postcards.

Thanks Deb!

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Finished

Another item checked off my *to do* list is the quilting on this top belonging to Kathy from HeartStrings. Next to be loaded will be one of my strippie quilts so I can play around a bit.

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Machine vibration

I think I'm closer to solving the vibration issue - I made an adjustment to the front wheels on the machine after speaking to a woman at the Gammill booth which made it a LOT worse. This was a good thing however because it let me know I was on the right path. I made a second adjustment and the vibration is better but still there. I know it's something that occurred during the move because it wasn't there before so I'm hoping with some more tweaking I can get it back to pre-move condition.

Can you see the white clamps in this next photo? This quilt belongs to Kathy, a member of HeartStrings and this morning when I was struggling to get it positioned for quilting - I decided to try out these new clamps from Tomorrow's Heirlooms that I bought at MQS. I usually only do a full float on my really small donation quilts (crib size) and do a partial float on all the others. Who knows, after this I may start doing full floats on all of them.

Here's a peak at the quilting - it's a pantograph called Plumage from Willow Leaf Studio.

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Getting ready for Memorial Day Weekend

I'm planning on piecing some RWB HeartStrings blocks over the Memorial Day weekend that will be used in quilts for wounded soldiers. If anyone is interested in joining me - check out the HeartStrings blog where the block guidelines are posted. Chris will be visiting this weekend and I'm going to have him help sew some blocks.


I love that stores are now selling these reusable shopping bags. This morning I used this Target bag to when I walked downtown to the post office to ship packages for Mom and Deb and to FedEx Kinko's to ship HeartStrings quilts to Nancy. Then I filled it back up at Target and walked home. I probably should have used two bags because it was a little heavy both with the packages and on the return trip.

This table is in my entry way and as you can see - it still needs work. I plan to hang a quilt on the wall behind the table and then arrange my Singer sewing machine and some photos. Maybe next weekend Keith can help me hang the quilt. The photos on the bottom shelf need to be hung too.

I also wanted to mention that I'd bought the photo CD from last year's MQS show and have ordered this year's CD too. The detail shots of the quilts are wonderful and are much better than the photos I took last year. This year I didn't bother to photograph any of the quilts except for the photos of Deb with her 2nd place winning quilt.

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Flower boxes

I know you all will probably be disappointed but I decided since I'm not a gardener, that I'd put potted plants on the deck rather than planting the flower boxes. So here's the first quilt (or maybe it's the 2nd one) on the new deck. This goes back to Nancy and her group along with 4 other quilts to bind and donate.

How bizarre is this?? This photo is horizontal but each time I upload it - it turns itself vertical...blogger must be having a problem.

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The sun is shining

We have a neighborhood party to go to this afternoon but it was too pretty to NOT take the bikes for a short ride. The sun is shining and it's in the mid 50's here so we rode across the river to Boon Island Park.
We found a quiet spot by the river to spread the quilt and sit in the sun for a bit. We've both been traveling the last couple weeks and haven't had much time together.

Isn't this a great view of downtown?

I'm going to try and get some labels made and Kathy's top loaded before we leave for the party.

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I can make a tree but....

Can I make a forest??

I've got the tree blocks laying out on the floor - don't know where the design wall is and not sure I'm going to have room for it anyway. These are entirely too orderly lined up in rows.

So I'll try to add some background fabric around the trees and come up with a more *scattered* arrangement for the blocks.

For those that may not have read the previous posts on my Wonky Trees, this is my project for Tonya's Summer Class.

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Catching up

I'd hoped to squeeze in some quilting but at least I got caught up with the mail, paid bills, ran errands....I even cooked dinner. Tomorrow I hope to steal a little time away for quilting.


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Did you miss me?

Just got home tonight from MQS. Deb and I had a great time and she even won a ribbon! Her quilt (designed and quilted by Deb, pieced by members of her guild) won 2nd place in the Theme category. It was very exciting.

We also took classes from Jamie Wallen and Dawn Cavanaugh both were excellent. Deb did a great job choosing the classes for us.

We met up with quilters from MQResources. How fun to meet Suzanne and the others we've been chatting with online over the few months or so. If you haven't joined this group for machine quilters, you should check them out.

And of course we shopped! I bought a couple new templates from Circle Lord, a couple books on background fills, Superior threads, crystals, wool felt, and probably some other things I'm forgetting right now. I'm make sure to share more information over the next couple weeks as I sort out and start using it all.





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MQS

I leave tomorrow to meet Deb at MQS. We'll be at the bar in the Sheraton Tuesday night catching up with each other - hope to see some of you there.

This afternoon I'm doing laundry and Mom and I are making some more postcards. This one is inspired again by the book Quilt Toppings: Fun and Fanciful Embellishments by Melody Crust. I'm not 100% happy with the result but I'm not unhappy either.

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To busy to blog

I've been having a great time visiting Mom and seeing almost all of my brothers and sisters (we missed you Deb!) that I haven't spent any time on the computer. Friday and Saturday we worked on making postcards - we just started doing a monthly family exchange and they were all looking for ideas.

I was running between them helping for the most part but I did manage to make one myself - the top pink heart is my card and Ann (green) and Mom liked it so much they made their own versions. (Inspired by a photo in the book Quilt Toppings: Fun and Fanciful Embellishments by Melody Crust). Click on the photo to see a larger view.

I'll be at Mom's until Tuesday morning and then I fly through Atlanta to meet up with Deb and we head to MQS.

Happy Mother's Day!

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Gone

I leave early tomorrow for VA and then on to MQS on Tuesday. I won't be home again until Friday night (the 16th). I'm not taking my laptop but I may (or may not) post when I'm at Mom's.

I know I shouldn't focus on the negative but I'm a little frustrated - most of the boxes are unpacked but I'm still having trouble finding things....my fabric sheets for labels, power cords for my electronics, my photo paper....... I'd been searching for the battery charger for my camera for a couple days and only found it today when I was searching for my backup charger for the Kindle to pack for my trip. Everything just takes longer because I have to stop and think (or try to remember) where things are.


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Rain, rain go away!

I'd hoped if I worked this afternoon, the rain would go away and I could walk downtown for some exercise and dinner but it's still raining so I'll probably just stay home.

This is another HeartStrings top pieced by Nancy and her group and the last of this first group to go back to them for binding and donating. (The pantograph is Happy Times - to see the quilting better click on the photo to enlarge it.) I don't usually quilt donation tops and return them - most of the ones I do, I finish and donate myself - but I like working with this group of quilters, after all their church is named St. Mary's......

It's finally starting too look like spring around here - the grass and trees are greening up.

Look at those plantings - I didn't have to do a bit of work and I don't have a clue what's there in but I'll make sure to take some photos when stuff blooms.

Someone is watching from the door trying to figure out what I'm doing outside without him.

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This and that but none of it quilting progress (yet)

MQS
Is anyone going this year? Deb and I fly in Tuesday and leave Friday. We're staying at the Sheraton and will probably end each day in the bar there.

More travel
I'm going to Mom's Thursday (VA) to celebrate Mother's Day with her and then straight to Kansas so I'll be gone a week.

We just planned a neat trip with Keith's sister for September. We're going to fly to New York City (I've never been) spend 3 nights, and then take the train to Washington DC and spend another 3 nights. In DC, we'll visit Arlington National Cemetery where my father-in-law was buried 3 years ago and I hope to see my brother and sister who live in the DC area while I'm there.

A visit from Chris
My son is coming to visit over Memorial Day weekend - it will be fun to have him visit us in the new townhouse and for him to see Minneapolis in the spring. His previous 2 visits were in the winter.

Stepping out of my comfort zone
I've been asked several times to come speak to groups/guilds about my quilting and HeartStrings and I finally said yes to a local guild for August. I'm a bit nervous since I haven't done any public speaking in a while but I've been told that it is a small, informal group so it's a good way to test the waters!

The plan for today was to get outside for a long walk or a bike ride (or both) but it's raining so I'm going to go load a HeartStrings top on the longarm and do some quilting.


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Lazy day # 2

A few errands, a couple postcards made but not much else accomplished.

I've been playing with some supplies bought in the scrapbook isle at Michael's to make postcards (ones that are more greeting cards than *art* cards) but can't show them because the recipients might see them.

I did manage to finish assembling and stitch the edge of my spring journal card too.



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