QuiltingNinaSue

That is a lot of loot, Honchey! Lovely bargains! Enjoy every one of them.

We love our new Geo thermal cooling and heating system....looks like it will really save us money with the electric company and love how it feels in the house...and no noise at all or big blow of air anywhere....we are now cool in our house again!

works4me

Wow, Honchey. What a great haul.

oksewglad

I've been following faithfully, but have not taken the time to check in. Don't know where the last 2 weeks have gone...but the girls have been sewing sleep pants. Nicole finished hers before she went back home. Elise has the hems and waist casing to sew. Emily has the center seam to sew and then finish off. I had them make Fr seams so doubled the amount of stitching, but figure it's just good practice

Have the shed almost painted, just some trim left to do--2 coats of solid stain. Second coat was so much easier to apply. Then last weekend two of my cousins drove over from NW Iowa. What a great day we had. Wish we were 200 miles from each other.

Honchey, what a nice tote to haul your things back and forth. Love your little blocks...have you reworked the house block yet? Your first one is so cute. I've included a PP version for you as well as a 4" block.

QNS glad you have it nice and cooool again. The machines will be humming again. You will enjoy keeping toasty warm in the winter as well. Would have loved to use Geothermal here, but when you build on a limerock shelf it's just not in the cards. Can't complain about the heating bills as we get one fill of LP in our 500 gal tank to last all year.

Carrie, hope those head aches lay low for a long while. What fun to be taking a retreat in August.

mirabelle has got the cleanest, neatest closet....puppy dog included I won't mention the state of my sewing space.....

Sorry about Patches, Jan. Those animals just tug at our heartstrings, don't they? I'm dreading the day when Silk goes to her happy hunting grounds. DH has been telling me for the last 2 years that he doesn't think she will survive the winter. She passed on the puppy making this summer--thank goodness--and the cooler summer has been good for her.

Jeanie, your purse looks so "Californian"! Breezy and carefree.

So in between the signage et al you have such a cute Churn Dash--love those 4 little ones in the center. Did you PP them or not?
The quilting on the CMCompass showcases the block.
So nice to see the completed Spike, too. Made a great gift for sure.

I'm off on another tangent--got tired of filling a tub with 2" pieces (I had three actually) so saw this quilt here QBoard in the 2" swap thread and decided I'd get to it. Been sewing strips of three, adding some HST and little 4P that I have made up. I'll use a navy tonal instead of the light sashing and 3 and 5 inch borders for a completed 90 x 90 quilt. Then will only need 16 of the big blocks instead of the 25 in the pattern. I might have to cut 2" pieces to finish it off I've changed the cutting instructions for sashing a bit too.

http://weddingdressblue.wordpress.co...-up-odd-quilt/
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My EQ version

Should be mowing lawn, but will sew instead...I'm off

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Honchey

Ok, do you wash/rinse your fabric??? I have been sewing my 1.5" stamps and so far I have 2 completed 12" blocks..I have lots of foursies & eighties and twelvesies and when I was looking at them on the wall I said to myself .."I like the odd sized blocks a space or two apart..and now you show a photo of what I was thinking of doing...

I would love to take the hobby table to NC but I have to see what size the pieces are...the larger pieces have to lay flat in the trunk of the Avalon...I just hope DH won't be too P--- ed!!! . I still haven't told him.. Saturday is "D" day...
I have to check out the swap threads..I haven't been there is awhile...
Good to see you OK & QNS & Works4 me...

oksewglad

Honchey, yes I do wash my fabric. QE and I are die hard prewashers- I blame it on our 4-H experience. I think there's something calming about an odd number of squares, too. Much like an odd number of flowers in a vase.

I "inherited" an older GE steam iron from #3 son when he closed up house. He said I got it for him when he went off to college 13 years ago. I must have found it at a Goodwill store since I'm sure it's older than that. At any rate wow what a great iron. I've been using it with a spritz of water for these 2" patches. I'm so tickled. Oh the simple things in life.

Honchey

If you starch your fabric you'll be more than tickled!!! it's a pleasure when you finger press

dublb

I too am a prewasher! I have not had any ruined projects from bleedin' fabrics since I started prewashin'. Then I starch it till it's as stiff as cardboard.
OK I just love your Odd quilt. I bookmarked it & am thinkin' about it very hard!

oksewglad

Yes, I occasionally starch too--depends on how important the project is. I'm using some really odd, old and ugly fabrics in this so I've been skipping the starch step, I'm just depleting the uglies from my stash

QuiltingNinaSue

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...one man's junk is another man's treasures! That is why we all buy the fabric that appeals to us as individuals. Designers and fabric makers count on that....to sell their fabrics.

No, I do not wash my fabrics. I do use Best Press when pressing the block of the project and Shout Color Catcher in washing the project the first time. I never belonged to 4-H or any clubs until high school...Homemakers, Library Club and Community Saddle Club. College was too busy with classes to belong to anything. Self taught quilter, who has learned a few things from QB and this group to think I have became a better quilter. Thanks everyone.

QuiltE

Great haul at the shop, Honchey ... no need to justify your "gift" to your husband. After all, it was a "gift", so what could you do??

OKSGlad ... I am always amazed at how much sewing you can fit in, amidst everything else you do!!! Yes, I made an itty bitty HITBD PP pattern for those little ones! Thanks for the kinds words on the Canada Mariners Compass Star. It was a fun one to do ... next time I will get the contrasts better. Keep looking at it as a full qult possibility and floating them in a bigger block/background, and extend those corner pieces so they meet with the next block for a secondary pattern, while the stars float. OH darn ... not another idea ... I really do not need that! Yea for your re-inherited iron!! Maybe it was an old one you had, and had given to your DS?

Yes, a confirmed pre-washer, I am, I am! Along with Dr. Beckmann's tossed in to check for any bleeding. Second time round if it still bleeds, then Retayne treatment.

Long weekend here ... hope for some sewing, but also hoping to attend Draft Horse Shows for two days!