New reading material......

These two magazines came today! Both of these seem to be close to the top of everyone's favorites list ~ Quilt Sampler and Mary Jane's Farm. I brought them home tonight to peruse!

There was no time for browsing through magazines at Fab-Etc today....we were really busy again! I had appointments with two fabric reps today and Jan held down the counter during those times. Lots of folks travelling through, new to the area and those just in need of something for a new project. What a fun day!

We had hoped to get to a couple of WIP (works in progress). I really cannot start anything else until I finish a few things ~ right? But there are all of these ideas rattling around in that little pea brain of mine!!

Okay ~ tonight I have to get a head start on all of those end of/first of the month things ~ newsletter, calendar, flash drives, website updates, payroll, bills, lease payment. Enough of that....pretty soon I'll be looking for a paper bag to breathe into. I'm just going to click them off of my "to do" list one at a time. Have a super evening clicking something off your list ~ even if it's just putting your feet up and relaxing!!

Izzie's college quilt......

Last Wednesday, we cleared off most of the design wall so Jill (our Izzie's Mom) could lay out the blocks she'd made for Izzie's college quilt. After Izzie was done with work, they started arranging and rearranging ~ look how they're both dressed to coordinate with the quilt! Don't think this was the final setting, but they did get it done and Jill carefully marked the rows so she could take them home and sew them together. Izzie leaves for Portland State University in just a couple of weeks. Everyone wants to know who's going to help us roll all of those Fat Tuesday fat quarters this Fall and Winter!?! Won't that quilt be a great reminder of home?

Monday ~ OMG it was a crazy day today!! LOTS of shoppers and projects. Diane and I were hopping all day. In between customers, she was cutting some 1/2 yards to take to the EverGreen quilt show in just over two weeks. I got my flying geese project ready to hand off toTracey to quilt ~ a big YIPPEE for me! Not much in the way of freight....some patterns and some more of the heat erasable Frixion pens.

Tomorrow a couple of different sales reps are stopping by to see if I've perhaps run out of fabric since the last time they were here =) Jan and I will be trying to work on putting together the "What Cancer Cannot Do..." quilt and a few other things on the back burner.

I'm headed downstairs to "play" with some fabric I brought home. Also, working on the September newsletter and calendar and maybe a few bills to pay. Then, I have a new book to start. What's your evening hold for you?

Cancer cannot.....

If you got my e-mail update last week, you know I mentioned the Block Party Studio pre-printed fat quarters. There are many to choose from. We just got a few different ones, including this one ~ "What Cancer Cannot Do".

This has been a more difficult week than I thought it would be. Just a year ago this week, I lost my almost 92 year old Mom to a rare, aggressive thyroid cancer. Last Friday would have been her 93rd birthday. Jan and I started putting this together on Wednesday, but I just had to figure it out the rest of the way and get it up on the wall for her birthday Friday. It's not sewn together yet, but I think we got it. We used the free pattern from Block Party Studio and tweaked it just a bit. The fabrics are from the new Moda Dogwood Trails group. Mom would have liked that we chose the greens ~ I always say she would have painted everything green in her house if she had her way! I hope we can finish sewing it together this week. Happy Birthday, Mom ~ I sure miss you.

Best of Show....

The Moonlight Quilt Guild is one of the three guilds in Whatcom County that I am aware of (EverGreen and Pieceables being the other ones). This is a picture of the raffle quilt they made for their show in 2012. It's titled "Bellingham Meets Baltimore". It's a traditional Baltimore Album quilt setting, but done in very contemporary fabrics a la Kaffe Fassett! It got the Best of Show award at the recent Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden. Yvonne B. and our Jan brought it in today and they are letting it hang at the shop until the end of the month, I think? I believe they told me that 28 people worked on the different aspects of this quilt....if you get a chance, stop by and see it. This quilt is really amazing. I just sat down and looked at it for a while, trying to drink it all in! Not sure when they will begin to sell raffle tickets....I'll try and keep you posted.

What a super day ~ summer returned after yesterday's rain. My lawn and plants were happy in both regards. A fun day here at Fab-Etc too. No freight, so I caught up on my fabric scans from the new fabrics that arrived on Monday! You'll have to take a look at "Sophie"...charm packs and about five bolts from Moda. Can you say cute?!?

Okay, I am going to sign off and head over to the website with my webmaster (aka the retired guy). We're going to fix the class schedule on line so I can send my 48 different sets of e-mails for an end of August update. Be watching your "in" box - ok?

The Applique Society....

On the third Saturday morning of the month TAS ~ The Applique Society ~ meets in our class area. I thought maybe with one of the warmest days of the year yesterday there might not be very many attending. Wrong! There were lots of appliquers there yesterday. I always forget to take pictures during "events" and classes. Yesterday, I turned off the flash on my camera and snuck this picture. I love when they get ready to do their "show and tell". There are always such wonderful projects they seem to be working on. If you're interested, I think we still have some brochures on the group. There is also a mid-week TAS group that meets at Fourth Corner Quilts. Thanks for letting me snap this pic, ladies!

Good thing I thought to grab that picture in a quiet moment. They were few and far between yesterday! I gave everyone the day off, thinking warm summer Saturday, no one will be shopping. Wrong again! I was super busy until the last hour of business. Lots of out of town folks and others just wanting to start or complete projects. Made the day fly by.

Hope your Sunday is enjoyable. We're going for a bike ride in a bit over to the neighborhood bookstore and then Fab-Etc where I forgot my notions order in the excitement yesterday. Happy Sunday ~ first day of a brand new week ~ it's going to be a good one!!

I MUST finish.....

Okay ~ so this month's Cool Tool is the Wing Clipper by Studio 180 Designs. It really is a cool tool that makes 10 different size flying geese using just the one tool. (Sorry, Eleanor Burns. I do love your flying geese tool also, but this one has a tiny bit less waste and makes all of those sizes instead of just one. Hope you'll forgive me!) Anywho.....I confess to starting this project about a year or so ago. It's called Atlantic Flyway and is designed by the same gal that designed the ruler. Life at the shop evidently called for it to come off the design wall. It ended up in a box and not quite done. When we made the Wing Clipper the Cool Tool, I all of a sudden remembered this project. So...out of the box and back onto the design wall. I had pretty much been at the spot where those star corner blocks came into play. Well ~ those guys were my nemesis for a while! I just couldn't seem to get the right color combo going. This is what I ended up with. I just sewed everything on tonight except those last four borders. I put it on the living room floor and balanced on a table to get this picture. What do you think? The original pattern calls for a light, plain block in all four corners, and even though I like to make store samples "just like the pattern", I don't think I can bring myself to do that. So, after Applique Society tomorrow, I am sewing those last four borders on and calling it ready for quilting. I MUST finish this before the month of the Wing Clipper is over!!

Boy ~ did we get some fabric this week or what? A gorgeous group came called Treasures by the gal who originated the Shabby Chic look. It lives up to its name, all right. And food ~ french fries, mushrooms, apples, bread, red potatoes, strawberries, cherries, corn on the cob, and more! We were getting hungry just looking at them. A train print came in, some batiks, flames, and a few odds and ends of basics. I managed to get them all scanned and ready for this month's flash drives ~ yippee!!

Last night the retired guy and I went to the Fair. We supported 4-H with our parking and one of the county high schools got our dinner money! We wandered around and saw the four legged critters and enjoyed just being at the Fair. The quilts on display were wonderful......sew much skill! One more day if you get a chance to go. And the talented young people who have their work on display ~ WOW!

I need to go get that project off the living room floor and finish cleaning up the kitchen. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Sunshine....

So....I had scheduled myself off for the first two days of this week! Harriet was back from her trip and she was willing to work yesterday and today. Alicia and Jan helped her out and the retired guy and I hit the road Sunday morning. Since the weather didn't look too promising here for the first couple of days; and since I had "reward" points that entitled us to two almost free nights; we headed over the North Cascades Hwy to Wenatchee to redeem them. We had a leisurely drive and then late lunch in Winthrop, arriving in Wenatchee in time to take a stroll and spy in the windows of the Attic Window Quilt Shoppe which was only a few blocks from our hotel! (Didn't get a chance to go back when they were open, but it looked like such a great place!) Martha who used to live here and has taught a few classes for us works there ~ wish our schedule would have been different....another time! We went up to Lake Chelan for the day on Monday ~ look at the sunshine! Read a book; worked on some hexagons; wandered around Chelan (yes, I did wander into the quilt store there, too!); and had dinner at the Lake Chelan Winery where they have this great BBQ; then back to Wenatchee. We headed out first thing this morning to complete the loop over Hwy 2 ~ Stevens Pass. We stopped in Cashmere and had lots of fun looking around a wonderful Antique Mall. Look at these yo-yo's! They were sewn together into a quilt of sorts in authentic vintage fabrics. And I've been playing with hexagons lately ~ what about this quilt!?! Then, we stopped in Leavenworth for a stroll through the great shops there. We ended up not having any lunch, but taking Chuckanut Drive home and stopping at Chuckanut Manor where we were fortunate enough to have a spot on the deck for halibut and chips and this stunning view. It's back to work tomorrow...stopped in there to pick up "stuff" tonight and the place was neat as a pin....thanks so much Harriet, Alicia and Jan!!

Beautiful batiks....

You may remember that I mentioned making our own rolls of 2 1/2" strips with our batiks. This is a picture of them. Doesn't really capture just how stunning they are. Think there are four different 40 strip combinations ~ 2 strips each of 20 different batiks. We'll be fiddling around with some pattern ideas for them in the next month, so watch for that. I had to get Miss Emily to show me how she got them so beauteous before she left us.....hope I can do as well as she did.

How's your weekend? It was hoppin' at Fab-Etc today. I was there manning the counter by myself for most of the day, although Alicia stopped in after a class she took to make sure I wasn't totally buried in fabric behind the counter =) I was on a mission to get the place tidied up a bit. got some of it done, but never everything, it seems. Is it like that around your place too?

Next week is Fair week up in Lynden. Are any of you going? I might see if the retired guy wants to head up there one day....we haven't been in a few years and I always enjoy seeing everything ~ especially the Needlework and Quilts. And Fair food ~ good, even if it's not so good for you! But once a year........right?

Hope your Sunday is wonderful....I have a book to read and some hexagons to play with for the next few days!

Pretty soon.....

Today was Emily's last day with us before she goes back to her last semester in college. She leaves next week and when we get to see her again, she'll be an RN! That means she'll get to take this outfit home and "legally" wear it when she gets a job. She made this darling scrub top and pants this summer and it's hanging at the shop. It has been such a joy to have her 5 days a week as my "wing man" all summer. You know, several people asked if she might be my granddaughter. It kind of took me by surprise until I did the math. I really am old enough to be her grandmother!! How come I just feel like maybe I am her older sister? (At least until I look in the mirror or try to ride my bike up a big hill!!) We shed a few tears at the end of the day, but all of the Fabettes are soooo proud of her and can't wait to have her back again. She knows she'll always have a job here and we've already told her she has to get a nursing job within maybe a ten mile radius so she can come over on her lunch breaks and see us! We love you, Emily and miss you already.

We got fabric today! We got green tomatoes and peppers; some Christmas prints; and Thomas the Tank Engine fabric!! I definitely see a couple of pillowcases for two of my grandsons who are Thomas lovers. We cut another 2 1/2" strip roll and then a Christmas honeybun roll (1 1/2" strips). Jan sewed some more Winding Ways blocks together ~ they are really cool looking.

Okay, I just got back from KT Klub (hexagon fun!) and had a bite to eat. I'm off to bed soon. Hope your evening was a pleasant one too.

KT Klub Week......

This is KT Klub week. I can hear some of you saying, "Huh....what's she talking about anyway?" So glad you asked! Well.....KT are the initials we use for the 19 lines of fabric by Moda, designed by Lynn Hagmeir called Kansas Troubles. A few years ago, Tracey agreed to be the facilitator for our KT Klub. There are two sessions this year and we are working out of the "Civil War Sewing Circle" book. Not everyone makes their projects with KT fabrics and that just makes the group even more fun!! The projects this year are smaller ~ last year we did blocks to make into a sampler quilt. I confess to often being the "slug" in the group ~ never having my project ready, but always having a good reason/excuse. So....this time, I put my nose to the grindstone and turned out our current project. It's pieced/quilted/bound and ready for Klub tomorrow. I think I just made my new granddaughter Ellie's first doll blanket!! Tomorrow, Tracey's going to show everyone how to English paper piece hexagons for a project that will be for our next meeting in two months. Then, we're going to "play" on the Accuquilt Studio and cut out some hexagons. I confess to making one flower already when the hexagon addiction first hit me! It's pictured here, but now on it's way to being appliqued to a background piece. Can't wait until tomorrow night...should be tons o fun!!

Today, Jan taught some gals how to make 60 degree runners using a striped fabric. What a great time! We got some re-orders on books and some new batiks, too. Alicia and Emily had their little heads together working on an idea Diane had for another of our 2 1/2" strip rolls ~ rainbow colors. Although, Alicia and I may call it "Sunset". We'll cut the strips and roll tomorrow. Pics soon.

Okay....just heard the washer quit. I'm off to toss things in the dryer, do a little paperwork and maybe a bit of binding on my Paris in the Fall quilt. Have a wonderful evening!

Apple a day.....

This is a picture of the Apple Core project Emily cut out using the Accuquilt Studio Apple Core die. She did it shortly before the sale at the end of July, so there was no time to play with sewing it together. Last week there were just a few breaks in the action, so she got a chance to start sewing pairs and then rows. (This pic is all raw edge.) The apple cores are cut so perfectly because of the die, she says they go together really slick ~ and what's not to love for me? They're all from Kansas Trouble fabrics! Her last day with us will be Wednesday, since she leaves the following week to go back to college. Not sure if we'll get this little guy together before then or not.

What a fun day yesterday was! I was at the shop "solo" and had so many wonderful regular and visiting customers. There was a group from mostly the Seattle area that I know stopped in last summer or the year before. They were staying out at Birch Bay and were on a mini Shop Hop before going back to sew more. Two different folks were here from out of town for weddings. And some of our "regular" customers were getting odds and ends to start/finish projects. Tracey came to finish cutting pieces for a Double Wedding Ring project she started. (Stay tuned....think she's going to offer a class for people who "always wanted to make a Double Wedding Ring, but were afraid to try".) The day just flew by!

So, that means today, I need to finish those corner blocks for my flying geese project ~ thought I'd get them done yesterday, but too busy. Got some great advice from the Tea Party goers and think I'm on the right track now. Looks like the sun is trying to poke through here. Think I may grab the Sunday paper, my cup of coffee and head outside to sit and enjoy the morning. Then, it's odds and ends of paperwork, a little tidying and maybe a walk or bike ride later. What are your Sunday plans?

Beetle Boy.....

So...this was the "quick and easy" project I mentioned a few days back. Jan kept calling it Bug Boy =) but it's really Beetle Boy. I see the picture isn't super, but you can get the idea. The center is a fun print ~ yes, it's kind of a cheater print with brightly colored squares. Emily and I cut the center and then added the red stopper and borders. Then, I quilted it faux "in the ditch" to look like the squares were pieced. I had been working on the binding, but ever so slowly. At the Tea Party yesterday (which was TONS of fun BTW), Jan didn't have any handwork with her, so I handed off the quilt to her 1/2 bound. I'm telling you, she is the fastest and best quilt binder I know! She had the whole thing done by the time she left work yesterday. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Emily gave it a quick press this morning and it's hanging above the fabric. Take a look at it ~ it really would be a quick and yet great project for a little guy you might know.

Yes, yesterday was lots of fun, with lots of Tea Party goers. We had to find more chairs and more clean cups all afternoon! And there was fantastic "show and tell" folks brought to share. We have the most talented customers! We got labels on our 2 1/2" batik strips....you've got to see them....they're yummy! Today, we got some new fabric. I know, it's truly shocking. We got a Farmall print (as opposed to John Deere); some vegetables, chefs and forks and knives (good thing we made room during the sale in the grocery aisle); some Halloween fabric; and some fabric with clocks on it. Emily and I sewed a bit in between customers. She's sewing the apple cores together that she cut last week and I was sewing binding on the "trees" quilt I just got back from the quilter ~ Longarm of the LAH.

Tomorrow should be another great day at Fab-Etc. I'm going to try and figure out the corner blocks to my flying geese project "Atlantic Flyway". Got some suggestions at the tea, so I might get a chance to try them out. Sounds like the weather will be gorgeous again. Hope you've been enjoying summer ~ I know I have. Have a super evening!

Get away day.....

The retired guy and I took a "get away" day today. Do you recognize this bridge? He said I should have let him take a picture with me in it so you'd all believe that I was actually in LaConner in the middle of the day today, instead of at the shop! Yup....we had a fun day today. I set up the shop so Emily and Jan could run things. Then, we got our bikes out and rode over to Diamond Jim's on Meridian and had a pancake. Then rode to that large building downtown with all the books, aka the Public Library. Checked out a few books, came home, grabbed a jacket, chair and iced green tea and off in the classic Mustang convertible. Down Chuckanut Drive, through Edison and over to LaConner. Too bad it was Tuesday ~ the Quilt Museum was closed.

When I got back tonight, Emily and Jan had the table all set for tomorrow's Tea Party and the place looked spic and span ~ you guys are the BEST!! So, tomorrow will be fun with lots of happy tea party goers. Then, we'll clean up and see what other kind of mischief we can get in! Diane and Emily chose batiks on Monday to make the Fab-Etc version of jelly rolls/bali pops/2 1/2" strips rolled/folded.....you get the picture ~ right? So, we'll probably finish those. And our Cool Tool this month is the Wing Clipper (same designer as Hunter's Star Ruler). I had started a project *ahem* a while ago using this tool to make flying geese. So, I got it out and put it on the design wall to finish. I'm going to get some advice tomorrow at the Tea Party on the corner blocks. Oh, and if I remember, I'll bring the hexagons I started putting together. They are SEW addictive....now I understand what folks were talking about.

Hope your day was good and tomorrow is even better! Night.