Dash Away....

Here are a couple of pictures from the first session for "Dash Away" last Saturday. The gals will finish up this Saturday. Their projects are coming out super! I think they have to have everything "nailed down" by Saturday and then Betsy is going to show them how to do some couching and other fancy stuff to finish it off in style. I don't know if you can see it, but Rudolph even has a red nose!

Been a busy week so far at Fab-Etc. Had a couple of sales reps stop by and a LOT of customers stop by as well. The gals who came earlier in the week for the demo on our Accuquilt machine came back and had so much fun cutting today! I told them they couldn't all leave and go back to their homes scattered around the country ~ they were pros now and would be great at explaining it anyone else who wanted to rent it! They were a really fun group of ladies and we enjoyed having them "move in" today as they called it.

Freight? We got more batiks today! I need to just accept the fact that all of the batiks will not fit into their homes for more than 24 hours around here. More notions arrived, including some YLI hand quilting thread that we are going to start carrying. Just a few colors so far, but we'll add more as we go.

Tomorrow? Jan, Linda and I will try and move the Halloween/Fall fabrics front and center and then I am planning to try and take the rest of the day off. And I am going to try to not work on a bunch of end of /beginning of month "stuff" that I need to do and just relax.....maybe a ride in the new to us horse car if the sun is shining? Hope your week is going well. More from us at Fab-Etc soon!

Long pants....

Okay.....it's Fall. I finally had to succumb to putting my long pants and "not sandals" on today! Although, the weather person says that maybe later in the week I can wear my crop pants (capris to old "classics" like me). And can you say "windy"? OMG, it was very windy at our house yesterday and then today ~ my gauge is always the flag at the corner of Birchwood and Northwest ~ standing straight out most of the day. The retired guy and I were sorry that all of the leaves weren't off of our humongous chestnut tree so they could have blown down and away!

What was going on at Fab-Etc today? Well, some gals who are visiting from all over the country came by in the a.m. and we showed them how Accuquilt Annie can cut lots of fabric in lots of shapes! We got some new flannel and a new magazine (came right before I left, so I'm not sure what it was!). And the start of all my notion orders arrived this morning. Soon, all of the pegs will be full again!

Tracey's selvedge quilt has garnered lots of attention! This is a picture of it and of one of my baskets of selvedges that I am saving. The class is scheduled for Friday, but there's still room if you're interested. We have some selvedges to share, if you don't have enough. And even if you don't have enough, you'll learn the basics of construction and you can finish as you collect! Just give us a call and we'll add you to the class list.

Laundry going and a kitchen that could use some attention, so I'll sign off for now. Stay dry, safe and warm tonight!

Thia Tee Shirt....

Today was the conclusion of our first Thia Tee shirt class that Velina's teaching. WOW! Three gals took the class and walked away with three t-shirts that looked great and guess what? They fit! How cool is that? The first session was yesterday when she went over the patterns and measuring and adjusting. Then today, they came ready to sew. This is a picture of one of Velina's shirts....do you think I thought to get pictures of today's finished projects? Sorry.....there's another class scheduled in October, but I think there's only one spot left open. If enough people are interested, I'm pretty sure we could twist Velina's arm to do another class, though. I've got to be on the lookout for more t-shirt knits!

Sew...while the gals were busy in the classroom the last couple of days, we've been busy trying to finish getting samples rearranged and "stuff" tidied up after dragging it all home from the quilt show last week. Harriet and I made a lot of progress today ~ hooray!! New stuff? We got a gorgeous grouping of 10 bolts from In The Beginning. There's a really wonderful project that goes with it too. If only all of my bindings were done and my "presents" quilt put together!

Tomorrow, Tracey and I will be working on getting a notebook together with the Accuquilt die listings, samples, size strips to cut, etc. Some gals are coming in next week for a "demo" on what she can do, so we want to be ready for them and any of you who might be interested.

Well, I'm ready to sew a bit more on the binding marathon. Just finished the end of my notions ordering. Gosh, you guys have been buying a lot of notion-y stuff lately! Not to worry, though. We've placed orders for just about everything we were running out of. (Except you know I will have missed something. It's always that way, isn't it? Just like going to the grocery store ~ I always forget at least one thing!) Hope your evening is wonderful!

Show's over, folks.....

Quilt Show was great! Here's a picture of our booth (remember you can "click" on it for a bigger picture.) It turned out looking pretty good, thanks to Alicia's help! There were lots of you through both days ~ it was fun to see so many customers and friends. And Harriet, Tracey and Linda kept the shop humming and tidy while we were out having fun at the quilt show ~ thanks, you guys! Only thing, though, was that there were a few of our customers and even our Jan, who got to come through with grandbabies in strollers and in tow. It made me miss mine too much! None of them live close enough so I can just go grab them up for a few hours of "Grandma Carol time". We just may have to take that "new to us" horse car for a ride this weekend so I can have a grandbaby fix!

And of course, after the show, it all has to come back to Fab-Etc. the retired guy showed up right before 4:00 ~ closing time at the show. He, Alicia and I had it down to the walls by 4:15 ~ woohoo!! We hauled it all back to the class area and then today, Diane and I worked on getting it put back where it belongs ~ with a few tweaks along the way. Still haven't put the samples back on the wall ~ think it's time for a rearrange. Guess Jan and I will mull that over tomorrow.

Should be a great week around here! Velina is teaching her first Thia Tee Shirt class this week and then another in October if you are interested. Betsy has Dash Away class Saturday (there's still room for one or two of you!) and I think it's 4-H Friday. I'm still sewing bindings and then I'm going to finish putting together that "presents" quilt that you see on the design wall. Think Jan will be working on the basket quilt next door to the presents.

Right now, I am going to finish up the e-mail update and start sending it out, so watch your Inbox for that to appear in the next day or so. Have a wonderful evening out there!

It's show time......

Today, the retired guy and I went up to Birchwood Presbyterian Church (off Cordata Parkway....just past Comcast). That's where the EverGreen Quilt Guild was setting up the show they have every two years. We brought our booth parts and he helped me get it set up. Then, Alicia came and helped me figure out where everything should go. She's just got such a great eye for those kind of things. I still have to do a few things in the morning, but we are basically all set up and ready to rock and roll!

I didn't get much of a chance to look around, but what I did see ~ WOW....this is a great show! The quilts looked fantastic; plus there's a boutique with some very cool stuff in it; a White Elephant sale; and even Tea Room this time! The gals from Applique Society have a table set up in the foyer and there were some other things going on too.....I did see a vintage quilt display from members and they have super raffle quilt also. Listen, if you get a chance, come and see this. The show is Friday (16th) from 10-8 and then Saturday from 10-4. And stop by and say hi to me.....we've got some great stuff we brought and we're giving out coupons for 25% off one cut of fabric down at the store ~ which is only a few minutes from the show!

So, tonight I am pretty tired from stretching in odd ways on a ladder =) I'm going to do some printing and make a "To Do" list for Tracey and Harriet tomorrow and then stitch some on the binding marathon. Hope your evening is a good one!

Binding....

I am on a binding marathon! This quilt to the left is the "cheater" quilt I mentioned a few blogs ago. The fabric is made to look like lots of squares have been sewn together. We just added a little stopper and a border; quilted it between the squares so it looks "in the ditch" and now I am binding it with a darker green binding. I am also binding my Atlantic Flyway project and the Cancer Cannot topper and have binding ready to go on an Autumn Leaves project ~ whew!

Binding seems to be a love/hate relationship with most folks I talk to. Do you love it or hate it? I usually enjoy it. I found this quote about binding ~ "No cord or cable can draw so forcibly, or bind so fast, as love can do with a single thread. " I always feel like the binding is the final goodbye to a project. Many of the pieced things we make are for gifts to others. I don't know about you, but I usually spend lots of time thinking about the recipient when I'm making something for them. Will they like it? Remember when we..... So, I can become pretty attached to the "process". Binding is a farewell and send off to many of my projects.

Okay...I'll stop waxing philosophical now. Why am I on a binding marathon? 'Cuz I am trying to get these ready to either take to our booth at the EverGreen Quilt Show Friday or to hang in place of a project that is going to the EverGreen Quilt Show this weekend! I'm halfway done on two of them and haven't started the hand stitching on the one in the picture. Guess I could sit on my stool in our booth and stitch...hmmmm....might just happen!

We had a fun day today....Jan's taken over the quilting part of my Autumn Leaves runner (an Eleanor Burns pattern I did last year, but never quilted.) She's so much better at this than I am. I did get the binding ready to sew on, though =)

Well, enough binding ramblings.....I need to do some printing to take to the show and a few other catch up paperwork things. Hope you have an enjoyable evening!

Halloween fun.....

Today was the last class for the Baltimore Halloween Quilt. Here are a couple of pictures I managed to take when no one was looking! That's Karen and Betsy looking at Barbara's quilt on the table. We cleared off the design wall and Karen put her blocks up on the wall to be sure she liked the layout before stitching them together. Kathryn isn't here yet, but her blocks are also just phenomenal. That's the finished quilt in the other picture with Karen's blocks. What do you think about that bat border.....pretty amazing! These gals did a fabulous job of sticking with it to get a project ready to hang for Halloween this year. You should be very proud of yourselves, ladies!! Hard to believe with the wonderful summer weather we are having that Halloween will be next month. The retired guy and I went for a bike ride after dinner. We needed to get something at the grocery store that had been advertised on sale, so that's where we headed. As we were walking to the checkout stand, John saw the Trick or Treat candy out! How can that be, he asked!!

Well, earlier in the day I wondered if it would be busy at all.....maybe I should send Jan home? She had peaches to can, after all! OMG....after lunch it just got crazy and stayed that way until 6:00. We had projects we were merrily working on until there were just too many customers to keep going. Jan's working on a very fun basket panel project. I finished quilting the borders on a "cheater" quilt (pictures soon!) and then I was working on finishing the 9" block for our Tri-County meeting Monday morning. Yikes....it was almost ready too. My mission is to get the block and directions done right away tomorrow so I can relax some.....right!?!

Hope your Sunday is relaxing and possibly even involves some stitching too!

Thursday already? Really?

Okay....where did this week go, anyway? In just a few hours it will be Friday. Friday? How can that be? Well, I guess since Monday was a holiday, that just added to the rapid decline of the week days, huh? What have all of you been doing? Me? Well, we enjoyed sitting and doing not much of anything on Sunday ~ read a book, ate chicken and potato salad, messed around with my plants and fabric. Fun! Then, Monday we took a ride to Anacortes. I'm not sure the green classic horse car realizes it yet, but he's about to be put in someone else's pasture. You know how it is when a 17 year old car starts to "nickel and dime" you.....in Anacortes, we drove a different "new to us" horse car. Not the right one, but then yesterday, after Tea Party, we drove to Puyallup and brought a different "new to us" triple black convertible horse car home to live here. It was a super looooong day. Got home about midnight last night, so I'm draggin' a bit today, but loving our new wheels!

What have we been doing at Fab-Etc? Well, we're on a "let's get some new samples up in this place" mission! This is a picture of the top of a runner made with the Heather Mulder Peterson (aka Anka's Treasures) "Artful Home" line. I had started designing it in EQ a while back, but just kept fiddling with it. Finally, it was time to stop fiddling and start sewing! Hoping to get a back on and quilt it in the next day or so and then turn it into one of our popular Dollar Menu patterns.

What's the impetus? We are vending at the EverGreen Quilt Show next week ~ Friday and Saturday at Birchwood Presbyterian Church. Wanted to have some new samples and projects to take with us. I'll try and put more pics up in the next few days of "stuff" we are working on ~ okay?

Laundry waiting and then my pillow would like to see me earlier than 1:00 am tonight! Hope you are enjoying the wonderful summer weather.....have a great evening.

Cool cat....

The "cool cat" bag from Kona Bay is back! We got these great insulated bags a few months back from Kona Bay Fabrics. I got twice as many "cat bags" as any of the others, but they still were the first to sell out. So, when Erin was here the other day, I asked him if they still had any of them. Voila...two days later, we had them. Thank you, Erin, and Kona Bay Fabrics (who ship out of Seattle now!) Several of our customers have told us just recently that they use them for their lunch or groceries and they're fabulous ~ and look great too!! They have a zipper across the top to hold the cold (or hot) in and keep anything from falling out. I heard someone ask ~ they're $8.50.

How's your Labor Day weekend? Can you believe it's sunny and warm?! Alicia and I had a super day at the shop. We had a couple of gals renting the Accuquilt Studio and other folks picking up "stuff" to work on over the long weekend. Thought I might get a bit further on putting together the rows on the Cancer Cannot quilt, but too busy. We did pick out a few other projects to work on 'cause I am sure we don't have enough things part way done!!

Hope you enjoy the weekend. The retired guy and I are going to relax with a book or two and a sunny patio. We took an emergency bike ride tonight ~ I didn't have one coffee ground in the house for my morning coffee!! Sunday/Monday? Might go for a bike ride or two....maybe take the "horse car" out with the top down? Thinking potato salad sounds good. Have a few sewing projects I brought home with me if I get ambitious. At any rate, should be a super weekend. Hope yours is too!

Cozy tea.....

It was a little cool this evening, wasn't it? The retired guy says that now that it's September, I should expect that! Hmph.....the weather app on my phone says that it's going to be really nice for Labor Day weekend (when's the last time that happened?). He just fixed himself a cup of tea. Now, if he had this nice cupcake tea cozy, he could have had a warm pot of tea! Jan made this from a pattern called Tea and Cupcakes, I think. Isn't it cute? We just got the pattern back in stock, with more on order. We haven't tried it yet at our first Wednesday of the month tea party, but it sure looks like a winner. We have used both of our other Fabric-Etc tea cozy patterns (Fat Quarter Tea Cozy and Reversible Tea Cozy) though, and they work great!! We were inadvertently out of stock on those too, but all is well now and we have three tea cozy patterns for you to choose from! No reason at all for your tea to be cold.

Today was a bit quieter than the rest of the week has been. Guess lots of you were back to school and Labor Day goody shopping? I took part of the day off and Linda and Harriet held down the fort. Had time for a couple of bike rides ~ once to Diamond Jim's for pancakes and then down to the post office later in the day. (Hope I rode off that pancake I had for breakfast!) Harriet and Linda worked on getting more "stuff" ready to take to the EverGreen quilt show in just two weeks. Tomorrow, I'll try and make some headway on a few projects we'd like to finish up and bring as samples.

Right now, I think I'll finish my laundry and find my book. I have an early morning appointment with a sales rep and then it's Fabric Fun Friday!! Have a super evening.