Trying to reorganize

After going to the workshop sponsored by the Gwinnett Guild a couple of weeks ago I am trying to get more organized in my sewing room.  (it isn't easy, I am taking baby steps)  One of the first things I decided to do was something with my bulletin board.  This is on the wall above my sewing table, yes I face the wall when I sew, I know you shouldn't but I do, at least for now.  I had just a regular cork bulletin board with a hodgepodge of stuff up.



I took everything off and covered it with batting and upholstery fabric.  I decided to go with yellow, red and turquoise in my sewing room.

I found some turquoise ribbon and upholstery tacks in with some of my sewing stuff and decided to spruce it up a bit.  Before putting anything back on it, I went through everything and only kept the things that I absolutely needed or wanted, got rid of lots of little odds and ends.  It doesn't seem like much but it is a start.  Watch for future updates on organizing my sewing room.

Stash Busting

This week:
Stash in:  0 yards
Stash out 0 yards

This year:

Stash in: 90 yards
Stash out: 51 yards

What a week

I had so been looking forward to this week, it was Silver Thimble Stitch-in week and I had planned on going for three days, Monday-Wednesday.  Well, I made it on Monday, and that was it.  On Monday night I got myself all worked up about going back to school next week and gave myself a migraine.  No fun.  Tuesday I was unable to go sew with all of my buddies and yesterday I had to go to the doctor to get more migraine meds.  (especially since school is starting back next week).  I know that I could have gone today and visiting with some hand work, but for some reason I just couldn't get myself motivated to go.  I did some things around the house and a little sewing. I decided to get out the summer block of the week from  Primitive Gatherings.  Kristie over at M.S. Dolittle Quilter  showed this to me a few weeks ago and I just had to have it.  I made the first two set of blocks, but made them wrong so I decided to "fix  them" and work on the other weeks.  The name of  the project is  Rocky Mountain Puzzle, I love the repro fabrics.

Blocks from week 1 after I unstitched them and put them together the correct way. 

I am now on the blocks from week 4, I want to get caught up before I have to head back to work next week.  I can't wait to see what this quilt looks like when complete.

And the Winner Is!!!

I apologize for not posting this yesterday, I have been dealing with a migraine so that has me all off schedule.  The winner of my quilt kit give away is Reagan at  Quilting on a Cloud.  Congratulations.  Send me your mailing address and I will get it in the mail to you.  I really enjoyed reading all of the comments that people left and I discovered some wonderful new blogs.  Thanks to everyone who stopped by and left a comment. 

Design Wall Monday

This is my design wall today.  I just finished the last project I had up on the wall.  Yeah!!!! I am heading to Stitch In tomorrow and have packed more projects that I can even think about finishing packed up and ready to go.  I am finishing up the last step in the mystery quilt that I am working on.   I also have the last swap project to work on,  I have about half of those strips done.  I also have a couple of charm square projects packed up.  (no photos because everything is already in the car)

Finally finished Comfort and Joy, this is one of my friend Pat's patterns.  I love the variety of blocks on this quilt.  Now to get it quilted before Christmas.

I am working on the binding my DH's t-shirt quilt.  For those of you that read my blog you remember last  month I gave this to DH for our 15th anniversary and he hated it.  It was quilted yet and I thought well  maybe he will like it better after it is quilted.  I picked it up on Friday from Leisa and immediatedly started on the binding.  Can't wait to see if DH likes it better after it is finished.

After finishing the binding I have a lable to go on the back, I picked one of my favorite quotes from Winnie the Pooh:
"If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you." ( I had second thoughts about this after his reaction to the quilt.)

=

Stash Busting

This week:

Stash in:  8  yards
Stash out:  9 yards

This year:

Stash in:  90 yards
Stash out:  51 yards

Complete Quilt Kit Giveaway

This is the pattern, Road to Romance by Silver Thimble Quilt Co.  It is a great pattern that includes the instructions for multiple sizes.

Great batik fabrics, solid greens with a green and beige dogwoood print.  Remember this kit is for the complete kit, including th binding and the backing.  Leave a comment with your favorite blog, become a follower and make a post on your blog for more chances to win.  Winner will be announced on July 25.

500!!! Post

My very first post over 4 years ago was about Pigs in a Blanket day so it is only fitting that I start my 500th post with a pig.  DH bought me this pig last week while on vacation in Dollywood.  Pigs with wings are so much nicer than pigs without.  One of my favorite sayings is "when pigs fly", that is what I had thought about blogging, when pigs fly.  It seemed like a waste of time.  Boy was I wrong.  When I started blogging, I had no idea how much I would come to love it.  My friend Becky, over at Quilting Booklady was the first person I knew with a blog.  I wasn't overly excited about starting one, but thought if quilting people were getting involved I should get involved.  I can't believe that I have done 500 posts.  Where has the time gone?  I decided to do a giveaway for my 500th post. 

 I am giving away a complete quilt kit from Silver Thimble Quilt Co.  The pattern is Road to Romance. The kit contains everything you need to make the quilt including the pattern, backing and the binding.  The fabrics are beautiful batiks, an almost solid green, with a batik print with beige and green dogwoods.  All you need to do to win this kit is leave a post with your favorite blog.  To get your name in a second time, become a follower, and for a third time make a post on your blog.  This is a great giveaway, and you have two weeks to do this.  I am going out of  town to visit my  mom (who doesn't have email access).  The winner will be announced on July 25.  Good Luck.

Tennessee Quilt Trail

While on vacation last week, we came across several quilts on the Tennessee Quilt Trail.  There are over 30 quilts currently on the trail.   The quilts are usually placed on barns or other significant buildings.  The quilt blocks are selected based on a quilt that has meaning to the family.  The one above is on a craft co-op in Clinton, TN.

This one is at the Museum of Appalachia.

This one  is at Frozen Head State Park.

Sweetwater Dairy Farm.

It was  a lot of fun to look for the quilts as we were driving through TN. We passed a few others that I was unable to get photos of.  Maybe someday Georgia will have a quilt trail, there are definitely enough barns around.

Back from vacation

For the first time that I can remember we were on vacation for the 4th of July.  We went to Gatlinburg, Clinton, and Chattanooga, TN.  We thought it would be cooler up in the mountains of Tennessee, we were wrong!!!  The first couple of days it was 105, as hot as it had been here in Atlanta.  Our first stop was the Smoky Mountain National Park, the few buildings there were decked out with flags.  I loved seeing the flags on the old churches and houses.

One of our favorite places in the park is Cades Cove.  There is an 11 mile loop that you can drive and you always see wildlife, usually we see deer, bears, and a variety of birds.  This year we only saw deer.

This is Abrahms Falls in Cades Cove, it was about a 5mile hike.  Luckily we started early in the morning before it got too hot.

After doing our thing in the park, we decided to go to Dollywood.  It is a huge amusement park, with everything Dolly Parton.  It was a lot of fun, but been there done that.  Don't need to go back.

I seem to find pigs everywhere.  This was on one of the buildings in Dollywood.

After leaving Gatlinburg we went to Clinton, TN  to the Museum of Appalachia. It is a wonderful museum.  One reason I wanted to go was to see the anvil shoot.  What is an anvil shoot?  I had always heard my dad talk about doing this when he was a child, and knew what it was, but really couldn't imagine what it would be like to see it.  You use two anvil's, one large one on the bottom, a smaller one on top.  The one on top is filled with black powder and a fuse.  The fuse is lit and the top anvil blows up into the air with a huge boom!!!  Fireworks for people who couldn't afford fireworks.  I am so glad that I was able to see this.

The Museum also had a wonderful collection of antique Tennessee quilts.

This was a state quilt, made when there were only 48 states.  It is made from feedsacks, one from each state.  In the middle of each block the state was cross-stitched. 

Vacation is always too short, but we had a great time.