Catching Up

Well it has been a while since I've posted and it is due to the fact that I have been doing all the stuff I wanted to do in retirement.  I've used my boat a few times since I got back from Australia,

I've visited quilt shops, I've been sewing up a storm (both quilts and bags).  I even had a visit from my daughter so I have neglected the blog for a while.

I had a great time when my daughter visited.  We spent time watching the Olympics while she rebonded with her cat, Della. I made sure she got some good Mexican food which she misses living in Australia.   I love hanging out with my kid she makes me laugh and between her and my mom, I lost a pound or two due them entertaining me.

I have been to a number of quilt shops in the past month or so but for some reason I didn't document the visits with my camera as I've been doing over the past year.  Went to Crinklelove which is a fairly new quilt shop in Springfield MO.  It is a small shop on Commercial which leans toward modern fabrics and quilts.  I have been trying not to buy fabric unless I need it to complete a project but I bought two yards of Cotton and Steel and two yards of shot cotton.  Four yards of fabric that I have no idea what I am going to use them for but I had to have them.  The store also carries some cool modern patterns which I passed on, proud to say.

Went to a small quilt show in Yellville AR a couple of weeks ago and went on to a couple of quilt shops in Mountain Home AR.  Stopped at Sew Unique first and I bought an awesome pattern that uses ombre fabric in a great bargello look pattern.  Amazing!!!!!  Then we stopped by Remember Me Quilt Shop.  This is a really nice shop with a lot of samples and great fabric choices.  I bought something bur at the moment I can't remember what it was which is ironic considering the name of the shop.


I went to a sewing retreat in Des Moines at Woodside Quilting.  It was a really nice shop and I bought this pattern I've been coveting for a while, The Sew Together Bag.  Here is the one I made.

I made the back of my Star Trek Next Generation quilt which makes me smile just to type that.  How lucky was I to score a fat quarter bundle of STNG fabric.  I have loved that show since about 1992 and I have some of the best friends that I met through that show.  Working on this quilt is so a labor of love.

                                             

I also whipped up this cool organizer at the retreat.  

Since this retreat was in Des Moines, mom went to some of her favorite places to eat like George's Chili King, Maxies, and The Tavern in West Des Moines and she had a Maid Rite which always makes her happy.  Best part of the whole trip was thar mom got to visit friends that she has known for over 50 years.  Awesome.

I also spent about 5 days over the last few months sewing with friends at Sewing Machine express where I finished the top of a Storm at Sea baby quilt using the stable piecing method that I learned at a guild meeting.  Brilliant technique to do perfect piecing.

This last few weeks I've been home a bunch and finished up a couple of quilts.  The Ghastly's Quilt I've had the top done for a while and finally got around to quilting it.  I tried some ruler work on it and it wasn't horrible.

I also finished the gradation quilt this week.  I saw this great kit and since blue is my favorite color and I'm a huge fan of anything with color gradations I had to have it.  The piecing was pretty much a piece of cake but I got inspired on the quilting and tested my long arm ability.

I was pretty happy with the result.  I have to say that retirement suits me!!!!!