String Quilting

In the winter I always layer my shirts. I just get too cold otherwise. How about you? I guess men's undershirts serve the same function.

This is the over shirt I was wearing yesterday while sewing along on my Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt (Bonnie Hunter's 2014 mystery quilt).

This just shows you that

Quilters Come with Strings Attached.

Tomorrow, pictures of my progress on Grand Illusion.

Thanks,
Lin

Fray Check part two

I posted about my frustrations with Fray Check. I had sent them an email about it, and didn't get a response. In the mail today was this:

Can you see?  The plastic has been opened, and the bottles are marked "Open." Pretty good response, I think!

Here's where I posted about my frustrations. Here


By the Way. We are home again. Home to spend Christmas with family. The warm weather in Florida was hard to resist, but family is pretty darn important to us.

Edited to add:  Guess I didn't explain this very well. Fray Check sent me two bottles, with the packaging marked as above. They broke open the package, and snipped open the bottles so I wouldn't have to. And marked the bottles so I know they're open. I thought it a nice gesture.

Thanks,
Lin

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner, Part Two

This is what I won from Fil-Tec, makers of Glide thread.

Supposed to be a $67 value! I'm pretty impressed! I can't wait to try it on my Sweet 16.

I blogged about my win here.

Thanks,
Lin

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to All, and to All a Good Night!

Lin

My Wonderful Husband!!!

In the three years we've been driving to Florida, I wanted to go to a quilt shop in Dry Ridge, Kentucky. I read that it was one of the top ten-rated quilt shops in the country. We used GPS to find it one time. Tried to send us down a two track--pulling the trailer. We chose not to go that time.

The store is not open on Sundays, and closes at 4 on Saturdays. We always go thru town on the week end (easier driving thru Cincinnati and Atlanta on weekends) so could never connect. This time coming home, we were going thru town during the week, and he told me to call and get directions. Very cute shop.

I asked the owner how they happened to be rated. She said it was many years ago, and at that time, Fons and Porter traveled to different quilt shops, rating them. Rated this shop as #1 in the country! Gotta be a WOO HOO for them! Other shops were wondering how they got to be #1, and thought Fons and Porter should visit them. So now, stores have to write and apply to be rated.

This is the Quilt Box in Dry Ridge, Kentucky. You definitely need to get directions because it is really off the beaten path. A very long dirt road takes you back (about 1 mile?) to the shop.

Hubby just stood by while I picked things out.

I have an awesome husband!

Thanks,
Lin

Ornaments

Here are all the ornaments I made this year.

They just look so festive! Some started out as circles, and some as triangles. End up as squares or triangle-stars.

We took a walk on the beach. Oh to be able to be close enough to do that all the time. It would be so heavenly!

Thanks,
Lin

I'm a Winner!

When I checked my email after quilt group today, there was an invoice from Fil-Tec Threads, order number, shipping number, "no payment information necessary," "free shipping." I was confused because I didn't order anything. Have I been hacked? And what's with the no payment information thing? So I called them, gave them the order number. She says, are you Lin? Did you enter a contest?

There was a Facebook contest, enter a comment. I WON!!!!

When I get home there should be a six-pack of threads for me. $67 value!  Woo Hoo!

Fil-Tec Bobbin Central

Yesterday

Congratulations Lin Marsh on winning the Cairo-Quilt Perfect Blend kit. The cotton gin was one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution and was in fact invented by Eli Whitney.

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Fil-Tec Bobbin Central

Yesterday

Day 6 - Today, our 12 Days of Christmas continues. We'll try to take it easy on you this morning, it is Monday after all. Today we're giving away our Cairo-Quilt Perfect Blend kit, which is perfect for today's two-part question.

What machine easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds and who invented this machine? Comment to win. We'll select a random winner today at 5:00pm (EST).

Woo Hoo!

Thanks, 

Lin

More New Critters to Me

The campground has Sandhill Cranes around a lot. They look a little prehistoric, especially when they're flying.

They make the weirdest "clacky" noise when they're warning someone away. But they let people get pretty close. I didn't want to scare them too much, so stayed away.

There's another smaller bird that hangs around a lot, maybe a sand piper? They make a cheapy noise. There's a black bird that hangs around the WalMart parking lot. Don't know what he is either. I need a guide book I guess.

Thanks,
Lin

Different to Me

Things are different to me because we're in Florida, instead of the cold blustery north. It doesn't feel like Christmas time to me, Christmas carols just feel out of place, I can't get into Christmas shopping. I felt like I got two summers. Not that I'm complaining, you know. I like this weather so much more than having to bundle up to get the mail. Low 70s today. Woo Hoo!

Along with the strange (to me) weather, comes plants that I don't expect to be growing profusely in December.

Look how lush this looks. Don't you expect to see Tarzan swinging out on a vine?

Until I pan the camera a little to the left, and you see the campground. There are lots of lakes in this campground.

All with their resident critters. There's an alligator in the lake behind us. The lake is perhaps 50' behind our camper. He scares me, but mostly in regards to Trixie. But she's always on a leash, so I think I'm good.

There's a sign:

I definitely obey this sign.

Thanks,

Lin

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

The winner from the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway I ran is Lixie

Lixie said...

Eating roast gammon on christmas eve is my favourite tradition. So delicious!

December 10, 2014 at 6:13 AM 

I asked Lixie what gammon was-----do you know? It's roast ham. Not a word I'd heard before, except in "backgammon." I don't expect it is from the same base word. I tell you guys, I'm a word freak.

I am sending Cheryl's patterns on to her. Hope she enjoys them. I personally love Cheryl's patterns. I think they cover the best of both worlds: They look involved, but are very easy to sew. I hope to do more testing for Cheryl in 2015.

Thanks,

Lin

I'm So Impressed!

As I said, we're in Florida. They have flowers! I haven't seen flowers growing in the ground in a few months. It would be so interesting to see what grows down here in the summer. Of course, summer is when I expect to see flowers growing. But maybe it's too hot down here for things to bloom? I don't know. Last winter we stopped at a tomato farm on the side of the road and got a basket of tomatoes. Heavenly! We had BLT sandwiches several times. Winter tomatoes in Michigan are pitiful. These had glorious taste!

Anyway, there's a huge cactus bush (?) near the entrance of this campground. Here are some pictures:

I don't know what kind they are. Do you?

Thanks,
Lin

Florida!

We're finally in Florida! YAY! Warmer weather. YAY! But we keep hearing that it was 70 last week. Saw temp of 63 today. I'll take that. Much better than the 30's and snow I'm hearing from my friends at home.

We are in our trailer, and things always need fixing in a house that's moving. This time the water wouldn't run thru the faucets. Mr. LQ figured out the screens were filled with rust from the anode bar he replaced. But the kitchen faucet wouldn't clear. Wo he put in a new one today. It's a good thing to be married to a handy man. It's handy to have a handy man.

So here's the new faucet:

The one originally in the camper was plastic and cheap looking. This is better.

Should be able to sew more starting tomorrow. We'll be in one place a little longer. Then on to a campground that has a very busy quilt group. So looking forward to this.

Thanks,
Lin

Sew Mama Sew and Giveaway!

I'm linking up  with Sew Mama Sew today for her Giveaway! YAY!

I have packed up my projects for travelling, and this year, I remembered to bring them with me! Last year I left everything at home. What a bummer that was! My projects keep me (relatively) sane, with something to keep me busy.

I brought Christmas ornaments to make, and 2 quilt tops to work on.

There is a difference in the two pictures, one shows the fold in the edges, and one doesn't. I made a bunch of these. Every year, I make ornaments for the grand daughters. They each have a collection now, someday when they move out on their own, they'll have a Christmas collection to start with. They'll be able to look at them and say, My Grandma loved me.

This is one of the quilt tops I brought to work on:

Now, for the Giveaway info!

Cheryl Brickey of Meadow Mist Designs has kindly offered to supply me with some of her fantastic, magnificent patterns as Giveaways!
To enter, make a comment below telling me about your favorite holiday tradition. For a second entry, follow my blog, and let me know how you are following. If you are already a follower, just let me know how you follow. The Giveaway will be open for one week.

Here are Cheryl's patterns:

Peanut Butter Pinwheels

Charming

Scrappy Tiles

Good luck.

Thanks,
Lin

Part One of Bonnie's Mystery Quilt

I finished part one of Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt, Grand Illusion. These are my fabrics:

And above are the color cards she sent us to.


Here are my first 100 blocks: (well, really only a small sampling)

I played with them in alternate settings, wondering how Bonnie will have us put them into the quilt. I do like how the aqua star magically appears. It will probably be some completely different setting. I'll be surprised.

I chose not to do this mystery in scraps. Bonnie is the queen of scrappy quilts, but I wanted to do it with planned fabrics.

Thanks,
Lin

December Bee

Stephanie of Late Night Quilter requested Anna Maria Horner feathers for her bee blocks, and sent a pattern. I chose to do them with paper piecing. Sometimes paper piecing works wonderfully for me, but sometimes I struggle. Today, guess which one it was???? STRUGGLE!!

I can't remembr how many seams I had to remove because the fabric didn't cover the whole section, I didn't sew it on straight, I missed the side seam allowance, ...  Maybe I don't need to say how easily the paper came out, because I had sewn over the seams so many times.

They look like ties to me. I will be very interested to see this quilt completed.

with flash

without flash.

The display board is actually white, so I think "with flash" is truer color. Someone told me when I was starting out blogging to not use flash. Doesn't seem like such a good idea. 

Stephanie asked for brights, jewel tones, and a bit of white. I think I succeeded.

Thanks,

Lin

Table Runner

Yet another Christmas present! Here's a table runner I made for someone who shall remain nameless.

Flash

No-Flash

The pic taken with flash has truer colors. I find that interesting because I was told to not use flash for blog pics. I see the bottom one is also slightly out of focus. Oops, sorry.

This pattern was from Annie's- a kit of the month. I like having them send me different things. Gets me doing stuff out of my usual.

Thanks,
Lin

Place mats

I've been working on Christmas presents, of course. Aren't we all? I'm making table decor for----shh! someone! I won't mention how they are related to me, but they are.

Here are some placemats I have just finished up.

I just took rectangles of fabric of approx place mat size and plopped some of my fancy stitches randomly on them. I admit I borrowed the idea from Stupendous Stitches. If I were ever to do this again, I would make my lines straight. It bothers me to see them wiggle. It was interesting to see how some of the stitches worked out.

Carol Ann Waugh, who wrote Stupendous Stitches, suggests making a Stitch Bible with all your machine's various stitches in it, changing as many variables as you can. This is an excellent idea. I didn't do it.

I had to keep adjusting this one so the two rows would meet up in the middle. 

I used a variegated red/green/white thread for the beginning designs, then came back with a dark blue and a bright yellow.

Cute idea, but maybe could have been executed a little better??

Oh well,
Thanks,
Lin