How time flies!

I can't believe it's been a whole week since I posted last. I know I didn't get many quilty things done last week, so I guess I didn't have much to talk about. As usual, the 4-day work week seemed extra long. I think it's because I need to fit 5 days of work into 4. We are rolling out a new lending system at the end of this week, and are currently putting about 50-60 or more employees through the training. Never a dull moment!

I did get the quilt basted for my friend Lanny on Friday night, and also had time to load the customer quilt I took in on Friday. That quilt is being done with a very complex pantograph; each pass takes two bobbins of thread and a long time. I stitched one pass then called it quits for the evening.

Saturday I traveled about 90 minutes north to our district longarm meeting. I love getting together with other quilters, seeing demo and show and tell and sharing tips, tricks and new gadgets. The demo this month was very interesting, though probably not something I'll do. Here is a picture of the "more-or-less" finished item. The background is "paper" made from muslin, paints and/or dyes and torn tissue paper. Coat the muslin with a solution of 60% Elmers glue and 40% water, using a paint bruch. Add paint and/or dye and torn pieces of tissue paper on top of the "painted paper, then paint it again with the glue/water solution. Draw the desing on tear away stabilizer and pin it to the back side. Load the bobbin with Ricky Timm's "Razzle Dazzle" thread. Place how ever many layers of synthetic organza needed to create the desired effect on the right side of the paper. Secure the edges with pins, then machine quilt the design from the stabilizer side. Go over all parts of the design twice. Then flip the piece right side up, and using a soldering iron cut away all the "background" organza. Because the organza is synthetic, it melts when the soldering iron touches it. Just run the soldering iron around the design right next to the thread. Don't touch the thread as it will melt. Danetta, who did the demo, had a finished piece that she'd done to show us. She fused fabric to the back and then bound the piece. She's going to frame it or use it as a wall hanging. The design puffs up almost like the puff paint we used on sweatshirts years ago. The idea came from a Quilting Arts magazine published last fall - I'm not sure which issue.

Sunday I went south to Keiser Oregon for "A Quilters Faire". The quilts were wonderful! I will upload some pictures later. There were lots and lots of vendors too. Before leaving home I stood in my sewing room and told myself over and over "You don't need any more fabric, books or patterns!" I was determined to be good. And I was! I didn't buy any quilt books and only one quilt pattern! The pattern is really a stitchery pattern, with the stitchery made into a quilt, so that really doesn't count as I have almost no patterns like that. The only fabric I bought were three packs of 5" Moda squares - not a single fat quarter or more. I was so proud of myself. That doesn't mean that I didn't spend money, however. I still had my April bonus from work that I'd not spent yet, and I've been looking for something special to spend it on. Well, I found it! The picture on the left shows the table I've been using for years with my featherweight. It's definitely been a "make do" situation. It's the table that fit my old Elna, with the "folding extention for the free arm" in the "down" position. I've managed OK with it, but that makes for a very small flat sewing surface. The next picture shows you what I found. It's all hand crafted from solid wood, and has a matching stool that doesn't show in the picture. There is a place behind the doors to store the machine when not in use, and a second top that fits over the top you see to turn it into a beautiful oval table. I went back to the booth three times during the 3 1/2 hours we were at the show, sat at the display model over and over, and finally decided to order one. I would have loved the bird's eye maple, but it was 50% more than the red oak, and the read oak is very pretty so decided on that. I put 50% down to secure the order, and left a very happy quilter. The craftsman is 3 months out with his orders so I won't have it until fall, which gives me time to put my longarm income aside for the other half of the payment. I can hardly wait. Here is his website, in case anyone is interested in seeing what else he makes. www.woodenimagesbyPhillip.com.

Back to the weekly world now - I must get into the shower for work.

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Gratitudes:

1. Rain showers

2. My favorite coffee mugs

3. Quilt shows

4. Car pools

5. Blogger friends

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