More Catch Up

 I think Avery liked his garbage truck quilt.

This is the view I had almost daily.

Everytime I walked into the house this one crawled or walked to me and wanted UP.

I made a new friend while I was in NC.

One of the guys that works at the campground we stay at has a wife that is opening a quilt shop.

The shop is called the Quilted Needle, in Pittsboro, NC

This is my new friend, Jackie.

I can't wait for the shop to open.

I am hoping I get to come back and teach some classes!

After my nanny gig was finished it was time to head out to KC for the annual Rejects Retreat.

I drove up to Ohio and spent the night with Kailie.

I *finally* got to meet Alex and the girls!!

The next morning we headed out to KC.

We made several quilt shop stops (of course) on our way to our hotel.

First we stopped at the Red Rooster.

What a great shop!!

Road tripping with my bestie!

We stopped at the Crimson Tate shop too.  

Kailie ordered from the Wooden Spool and we had to get there to pick up before they closed.

We slid into the shop 10 minutes before close!!

This was on the front porch.

Really nice shop.

I wish we had had time to shop, ten minutes is not nearly enough time!

How iconic is this picture of the Arch?

Chris found our hotel for the night.

It was the historic Fredrick Hotel.

What a neat place to spend the night!

Even had a resident cat that lived there.

We made it to the retreat on Wednesday.

The group went to Sarah's

This is an iconic place to shop.

Next year we are going to a new place in Lincoln.

I'm so happy I got to go and see all the great shops in KC.

Next up will be the projects I worked on.

~XOP~

How is it September Already?

 I can't believe I have not posted since March!  
YIKES!!  

I have had the BEST time babysitting for Theo! 

 My stint ended on August 5.  

   I'm currently back in MI for a few weeks so thought I would try to catch this blog up 

(hopefully I still have followers reading!
Since posting I finished this pattern test top for Meags and Me.  

I can't remember the name of the pattern though.

The kids drove to MI at the end of June.

First time Theo got to see Lake Mi.

They loved it!

I had a retreat at Creative Passions with my friends.

I finished this Sew Place Like Home in the camper but brought it to show my friends.

It went home with my friend Traci to display in her shop in WI.

This group of ladies were my company at the CP retreat in July.

Love them so much!

I pattern tested this Kittens in Kerchiefs for Sew Fresh Quilts.

I made mine into a pillow top.

I still need to quilt it and finish the pillow.

I also finished this in the camper.

I used Alice In Wonderland fabric for the triangles.

Pattern is Triangle Pop

Kailie and I were supposed to do a swap but I decided to keep my stars and make this.

I had all my stars made and put the top together at retreat.

Line of star fabric is Summersault by Erin McMorris.

I had the blocks for a coral limerick made.

I learned how to use the web method to put it together and boy was that quick!

Pattern is by A Crafty Fox

I made this garbage truck quilt while in the camper and brought it with me for photos.

I have since gotten it quilted and gifted it to Avery.

I also finished this one in the camper.

I have since gotten it quilted and gifted it to my husband's uncle Tom.

Second green Limerick!

I have the first one all quilted and need to bind.

I made all the blocks in the camper but put it together using the web method at retreat.

OK I am going to stop here and continue later.

I am off to another retreat at CP with a couple of friends tonight.

It will be the first time I have done a weekday retreat there.

I probably have WAY too many projects packed but hoping to make some progress.

~XOP~

 I finally got the mouse quilt home and bound!

I had it custom quilted and it is GORGEOUS!

Pattern is called Field Mice by Meags and Me.

Next up is the quilt top I made for Avery, but it may end up with another little boy.

He was obsessed with garbage trucks.

He still is to a certain extent.

We shall see where it's new home is.

Stay tuned!

This is the quilt top I pattern tested for Sandra Healy 

I believe it is available in her shop now.

So you are now almost all caught up.

I will write more as time allows.

I am out living my best life!

Hopefully you are too.

~XOP~

Sew Place Like Home

 Better late than never, right?

I love the Art East Quilt Company patterns.

Sew Place Like Home is no exception.

They had me at Dorothy.

I have been slogging my way through the blocks.

Here is my progress so far.

Dorothy was the first block.

I found some sparkly red for her ruby slippers.

The Scarecrow

Some house blocks for the border

And some rainbow border blocks

Poppies also for the border

The Tin Man

Cowardly Lion

(I really love this one)

The Emerald City

More border blocks

Finally Glinda the good witch.

ALL of these blocks have some very little pieces.

I started using one of the products recommended by Art East for pressing.

The Acorn pressing solution.

It was a game changer for EXTREMELY flat seams.

I bought the kit (find it here)

The kit includes the solution, the refillable pen and the glue.

The glue is also a good product to align small seams to make thing match up more easily.

I had to stop working on these for the moment as I have been doing some pattern testing.

I made some things for Clothworks for the trade show they are going to.

I tested a quilt for them too.

I don't think I can show those yet though.

I tested for Sandry Healy.

Some blocks and a quilt.

I will share those in another post.

I am currently working on a test for Meags and Me.

Then will be testing some machine embroidery for them as well.

Once all that is done I can get back to Oz.

What are you all up to?

~XOP~

It's Been a Minute

 I am so sorry it's been so long. 

 Life seems to be moving at warp speed these days. 

 Theo girl is already 7 months old.  

She is crusing around the furniture and I don't think it will be long before we have an independent walker, oh my!

Avery is almost three and a half already.

Learning his letters and we are having a lot of fun together.

My health.

I went home to MI in Feb for a quilt retreat but also for doctor appointments.

Mammogram was normal.

Oncology visit was normal.

Learned my oncologist is also a quilter.

I think we spent more time talking quilting after my check up was done than during the appointment!

She is awesome.

Quilt retreat was up next.

Met up with my SIL, my friend Kailie and my other friend Cori.

It was a much needed respite from childcare duties.

I had made this ghost pillow to go with the book,

the Patchwork Quilt that was a Ghost.

I stuffed him and closed him up at retreat.

I have a second one waiting to stuff and close at home.

Kailie taught me how to make a Hamingway pouch.

I am now OBSESSED with them.

I made this one for my kindle

I used 2 of my favorite Tilda fabrics.

Next up were some advent calendars.

I made this exact one for Avery and he loves his "mail pockets" so much

 one of his friends asked for one too

I made 2 of these.  

One for his friend and one for a dear friend of the family.

She had twin girls and has another daughter, and recently they just had a son.

This is the back of the one for Avery's friend

And this is the back of the one for our friends kids

Realizing that perhaps it might be too much to expect 4 kids to share one,

I made a second one for them.

Isn't this house the cutest?

This is the back of the house one.

The directions tell you how to add the pockets but not really how to finish it.

I quilted all three, and added the tabs then bound them.

They came out pretty cute, I think.

Can't wait to mail these off next fall.

Another quilt on the "to do" list was this Minnie mouse quilt.

I needed to bind it so I could gift it.

I managed to get it bound while at retreat.

Will have to gift when I get home in the fall.

I used a white minky on the back.

Here we are on our last day together.

I sure do miss these ladies!

Seems like all this just happened yet it was a whole month ago already!

I have more quilty things to catch you up on.

I will be posting over the next few days to catch up.

Hope you all have been well!

~XOP~