Where I Sew, January, 2010

Well...ok now..with my awesome new lighting and some organizing done during this snow day, I decided to brave showing my studio/ quilting room in all its glory, threads, scraps and all. We moved from Miami 17 years ago from a tiny house in a fine neighborhood..Miami is pricey. The house we found in Charlotte had so many more rooms than we were used to that we could really spread out. I figured that we never had a dining room before, so why would we need one now. Imediately, with my dear husband's approval, I claimed the dining room as my own. We put on an extra door and I could be alone. Actually I think the rest of the family was delighted too..LOL..Then mom moved from Phoenix to Charlotte and saw to it that each of her daughters had a china cabinet for the family china. But, then when she came to visit, she saw a bit of fabric where the china should be. Each year another shelf was claimed as the china was boxed. Now the hutch holds true treasure.

I have been collecting fabric since I was 13 and I am now 62 and I cannot give anything away...so good thing I have a room of my own. My husband built me these two white book shelves when we first moved here. But, alas, they have never seen a book. The fabric on one side is folded so I could take this picture and the rest is the normal mess...but tomorrow is another snow day!!

Before we left Miami, I bought a Bernina 1230..which is now 17 years old and has been very well loved. I hope it does not have its feelings hurt because this summer I bought a Janome 6600 with an awesome table and an extra wide space between needle and arm. I am so in love with this machine that my friends have to beg me to have an outing and leave it..It is the best ever and poor wonderful Bernina is now for classes only.

The last two pictures round it all off...the once dining room turned quilting studio retreat from the world...The red carts on wheels with drawers that come out from IKEA...so awesome to be able to wheel them around and take out the drawer..and then the design wall which is ceiling tile from Lowes. I found some on sale for $5 a package cause the edges where chipped. We just stapled Walmart flannel on it. Now the only thing I am hoping for is an ironing board on wheels. I think I am going to design one with a small shelf underneath and a top that is 1.5 feet wide hoping that my husband will make if for me when the weather gets better. Snowy days are great for dreaming. Thank you for letting me share my room..Happy quilting

Antique 9 Patch Variation or Puss in the Corner

All snowed in here in Charlotte, NC with 2 inches of snow..ha ha.. on the ground and everything a sheet of ice. We cannot get up the hill to get out of our neighborhood today. So..I thought quilting and organizing my sewing room would be nice. First of all I finished the antique quilt top I bought at the Metrolina a few months back. As far as I can see,the quilt top is from about 1900/1910. The pattern has been called Nine Patch variation or Puss in the Corner, but I have never seen Puss in the Corner with that particular coloring. Any other suggestions on names are welcome. The dealer there was a furniture dealer who happened to have had this top thrown in at an estate sale in Boone. She sold it to me for $15. It is all hand pieced. I found a period piece of fabric for the back at Mary Jo's Cloth store and decided to try wool as the batting. Thanks to my dear friends at the Charlotte Irish quilters and the Charlotte UFO bee, it has been tied now with pearl cotton thread. Today, while housebound, I hand stitched the binding on. I cannot wait to cuddle under it in front of the fire tonight.

Pillowcase tutorial link to Film in the Fridge

This site has a great Pillowcase tutorial. Check it out.

Marie's birthday signature quilt/p.s. i quilt: siggy block tutorial

p.s. i quilt: siggy block tutorial.

Well I am working now on Marie's birthday signature quilt--see the pictures on my design wall. It is the same as the one I did for Auntie Eileen and for Margaret's b-day. We made the blocks, ironed them on freezer paper and put them out at the party with Micron pigma pens for guests to sign. I see now that this great site already has a tutorial for you all to follow to make a quilt like this of your own. So, I am making a link to this site for your enjoyment.

p.s. i quilt: block o' strings tutorial.

p.s. i quilt: block o' strings tutorial.

This is an awesome site with great tutorials. I thought I would share with you her take on the block of strings. We usually use muslin base, but she uses paper and peels it off...your choice. And her site is so organized that I am jealous that I do not know how to do all that.....yet:)

Amy Karol's awesome binding tutorial

http://www.youtube.com/user/akarol123#p/u/7/4fEv3vxpues This is the link to Amy Karol's NO SWEARING BINDING TUTORIAL. No one does it better than Amy. Enjoy