Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  

I am thankful today for all God's blessings: my loving family including ten grandchildren, a warm home and lots of fabric stash!

Happy Quilting!

Gwen

Wish list!

I LOVE quilting and sewing notions!  I am a notions addict and I have never seen a notion I didn't like. Or presser foot!
Here are a couple shown recently on "Sewing With Nancy" on PBS.

http://www.creativefeet.com/products/feet/satinedge-foot

http://www.nancysnotions.com/product/flower+stitch+foot+low+shank.do?sortby=ourPicks

I want BOTH of these!

Happy quilting (and sewing!)

Gwen

Tip of the Day!

Quilt piecing instructions often say to start the seam 1/4 inch away from the corner of the fabric.  This can be tricky, especially when you want to reinforce the beginning of the seam. I find it is easier to turn the pieces around and sew TOWARD the beginning point, stop with the needle down, turn the fabric 180 degrees and sew on to the end.  This technique is especially helpful when making that dreaded "Y" seam.

Happy quilting!

Gwen

Confessions of a YouTube Junkie

Yes.  I am a junkie.  I love YouTube.  Especially all the wonderful quilting and sewing tutorials!  

Lately, I have been watching a lot of Kaye Wood.  If you haven't discovered her, check out her hundreds of videos available.  She has been around over 40 years in the quilting world.  Or, as she puts it, BRC - Before Rotary Cutters.  I remember those days, too.  Tracing templates onto fabric and cutting with scissors.  We quilters of today have so many reasons to be thankful. 

http://kayewood.com

I have my three year old grandson Wyatt visiting with me for a few weeks, so will not be getting much actual quilting accomplished.  A perfect time to indulge my YouTube obsession!

Happy Quilting!

Gwen

Modifying Free Motion Quilting Foot

I am learning to do free motion quilting on my Brother sewing machine.  One of the difficulties for me was finding a presser foot that does not block my view of the needle and previous stitches.  I found a great site on YouTube with Leah Day. She is an excellent teacher with wonderful demos.  One of her tips was how to modify an inexpensive generic free motion quilting foot for easier quilting.  

Check out this tip at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APD6s7PwoqU

While you are there, be sure to check out Leah's excellent demos.  Also, please go to her shop site and get the tools she uses in her demos.  

Thanks, Leah!

Happy quilting!

Gwen

Mini Quilt Shop Hop

I visited two quilt shops while traveling from my home in O'Brien, Florida to my niece's wedding in Cocoa, Florida. 

My first stop was at the Sew & Quilt Shop in Bunnell, just off Interstate 95.  A Bernina, Janome and Gammill dealer, this super quilt shop has a great selection with tons of fabric, notions and a nice variety of yarn. Classes are offered for all skill levels.  Kelly was very helpful and explained that many of the samples usually hanging on the walls were at the quilt show at Stephen Foster Park in White Springs.  

Saturday morning I visited Sew Central on Merritt Island, FL.  The shop specializes in classes in sewing, quilting and machine embroidery and are authorized dealers for Viking sewing machines.  They stock fabric, loads of patterns and have beautiful samples all over the shop.  I enjoyed talking with Sue about all this nice little shop has offer.  

Here are a few photos:

Sew and Quilt Shop in Bunnell, Florida:

Sew Central in Merritt Island, Florida:

Happy quilting!

Gwen

On the Road Again!

Getting packed to go to my niece's wedding in Cocoa, FL this weekend.  This is also the annual Cocoa Village Arts and Crafts Festival!  I am hoping to be able to take in part of this event, in addition to the wedding on Saturday afternoon.

I am planning a short "shop hop" on Saturday morning in Merritt Island and Cocoa.  Should be a fun weekend.

When I get home from Cocoa on Sunday, I will repack for an extended stay with my daughter, Dawne, and her family in Council Bluffs, Iowa (in the Omaha, Nebraska area).  I am taking my sewing machine, fabrics and all the supplies I can think of, but I am sure I will have to buy something while I'm there.  Iowa is THE quilting state, you know.  

I am also planning to get in a visit to the Quilt Museum at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.  I have always wanted to go, planned the trip many times, but just never did make it.  Maybe this time!  

I hope to still be able to post while in Iowa, so be on the lookout for lots of good photos.

Happy quilting!

Gwen