Quilters Piece Corps

Last weekend Marilyn and I were vendors at the Quilters Piece Corps Quilt Show in Victorville, CA. Everytime we're with this group of women we are amazed at how much fun they are. They always have a wonderful boutique that I can't resist. I sometimes wonder if I a vendor or a customer. I guess I'm both.

Here's a picture of our booth.



We had a new "hot item" this time. We sold it as a kit or as just a pattern. It is called "Tote Along" and I'll post pictures later, so stay tuned.

Wacky Devine Nine Class

Last weekend I had the pleasure of teaching a Wacky Devine Nine class at Bear's Quilt Shop in Garden Grove, CA. It was a six hour class and everyone finished their quilt top. Yea!!!!!! Here are the pictures of the finished quilts. Linda, Lucie, Terie and Cary all were great students and made great quilts. You'll notice that one of them was made smaller to be given as a gift for a baby.

Is it a Coffee Table or is it a Clock?

I've been in desperate need of a new coffee table for sometime. I'm always looking for something to take the place of the over sized foot stool we've been using. The problem with the foot stool was that it was made out of fabric and the cats thought it was a perfect place to sharpen their claws. I tried my best to reason with them but they just wouldn't listen so a replacement was needed.

I wasn't sure what I wanted so whenever I was out I'd keep my eyes open. Last week I looked at Crate and Barrel and Z Gallery. Z Gallery had one that was interesting but it also had an interesting price and my very favorite Crate and Barrel didn't have anything that would work. I even looked at Target and WalMart, nada.

Yesterday I was out buying a new coffee pot (for the zillionth time, but that's another story) and I wondered in to Home Goods. If you haven't been to a Home Goods store, they have some of the most unusual things. It's one of those places that if you see what you want you better buy it. They never seem get the same things back in. While wondering up and down the isles I came across a really fun and different table that was just perfect for in front of my couch.



So here it is the perfect coffee table for me. It's a working clock that is also a coffee table. I tend to pile way to much on my coffee tables but not this one. I think I'm going to just let it be a neat looking coffee table clock. No clutter!

Los Alamitos High School

Hoffman of California has done it again. They are known for their Hawaiian prints as well as the designer of fabric for Road to California, So. Cal. Quilt Run, Rosie's in San Diego to name just a few. This time they've out done themselves by making fabric for Los Alamitos High School.

My daughter, step children and oldest granddaughter are all Los Al alumni. Now my youngest granddaughter, Emily, is a proud Lady Griffin. Emily is a member of the Los Al Cross Country team as well as the Los Al Soccer team.

Check it out.



I have no idea what I'm going to make with the fabric but whatever it is will be fun.

Go Griffin's!

Pam's Quilts

My friend Pam has made several of my patterns. Last week I had a chance to see them right after another friend of ours, Terri, quilted them. I think you'll like all of them.



The first quilt is a Magical Slice and Dice using Kaufman's Feeling Groovy fabric. I just love this fabric. I think I still have some and just might have to make one for myself.



This is a pattern call East Meets West. Once again her choice of fabric is really nice.



This is a quilt kit that Two Wacky Women used to sell. It's made from all batiks and is called Wacky Nine Patch. It's made using a stack and slash method.



Last but not least is Magical Pinwheels. Pam was kind enough to be a tester for me shortly after I wrote this pattern. This quilt is completely assembled as a straight set and then magically turned on point. In fact you never make a pinwheel block, the pinwheels are formed when you sew the individual blocks together.

All of these patterns are available at the Two Wacky Women website.

School Supplies

If you're like me, we love this time of year when all the school supplies go on sale. I have enough composition books to supply an entire classroom and enough Elmer's School Glue to last a life time. But I love it all and when it's all on sale who can resist.

Not even Cathy . . . . .



Can you relate?

Magical Slice and Dice Class

Yesterday was day two of a Magical Slice and Dice class that I taught at Bear's Quilt Shop in Garden Grove, CA. Here are some of the quilts and closeups from the class.

First up, Marie Kinlan with her whimsical guild that she made for her grandson.
When you look at the closeup photos you can see how cute and different the blocks turned out.

Marie used a bright lime green for the sashing and a dark blue dot for the set in triangles. Her grandson is a very lucky little boy.

Here is a picture of Linda Vandiver's quit top. Linda was a little camera shy but her quilt was more than willing to pose.

Linda used a wonderful Asian floral that was a coordinating fabric to a fabric I used for one of my Magical Slice and Dice quilts. I used a very dark purple in my sashing and Linda chose a beautiful textured neutral that let the blocks just jump out at you. It was a great choice. Once again, see how different her blocks look. Her is Tami Dunham with her completed quilt top. Tami sews like I do, put the petal to the medal, full speed ahead. It's difficult to see in the photo but the fabric is a very deep blue and silver. It's a gorgeous piece of fabric but I was a little concerned that since it only had two distinct colors that she might not get enough variety.

Boy was I wrong. Check out how different the blocks look. This turned out to be a very beautiful and elegant guilt.

If you interested in purchasing the Magical Slice and Dice pattern you can visit the Two Wacky Women website.

I would love to visit your guild to speak and teach a workshop. Please contact me for additional information or if you'd like me to teach at your quilt shop.

A Day of Making Pillowcases

On Wednesday my granddaughter and I met my friends Marilyn and Rob for a little shopping and then lunch. They were looking for Amy Butler fabric and I wasn't looking for a darn thing. Well you guessed it, I think I was the one that bought the most fabric. We went to Tall Mouse, a local craft store similar to Michael's. Unlike Michael's they carry a large selection of quilting fabric that rivals many of the local quilt shops. They especially have a nice selection of novelty fabrics. My granddaughter and I decided we needed new pillowcases for our beds so yesterday we made pillowcases using the fabric (and some from my stash) to make a few.

This is my pillowcase. Can you tell I love Mexican food? Check out the tortilla chips to go with the enchiladas, burritos and chimichungas.

My husband John is a huge coffee lover so of course his pillow case if made from coffee bean fabric.

While we were on a roll, Emily made a cute pillowcase for her friend Stephanie.

Last but certainly not least is Emily's pillowcase. She is a soccer player as well as a cross country runner. We found this perfect fabric for her new pillowcase.

If you'd like to make your own pillowcases, here's the instructions for my version:

Wacky Pillowcase

Main Piece 27” x WOF (3/4 Yard)
Border Piece 9” x WOF (1/4 Yard)
Accent Strip 3” x WOF (1/8 Yard)

1. Lay 9” border piece face up on table.
2. Press the 3” trim piece in half the long way and lay folded piece on top of the border piece.
3. Lay main piece of pillowcase face down – lined up with border piece. All the raw edges all three pieces should line up on the top edge.
4. Roll the main fabric from the bottom up and then fold the border piece up to the top (creating a tube) then pin all the raw edges together.
5. Stitch along the edge then turn inside out. You have a finished edge with all the stitching on the inside.

Finish the side with either a French seam or surge the edges together.

Congratulations, you have a beautifully finished pillowcase.

Enjoy,

Guild Workshop

Yesterday was my guild's workshop with Shelley Swanland where we made table runners based on her "Machine Stitched Cathedral Windows" technique. It was fun and quite easy. By the time I left the workshop my table runner was pieced, quilted and had the binding sewn on. Now I just have to finish hand sewing the binding down on the back and it will be ready to go on my dining room table.

The blocks are very similar Mary Ellen Hopkin's Loose Goose, a 3-D flying geese block. You then roll the edges and top stitch them in place to give get the curved look.

Grocery Tote Bag

While at the retreat in Cambria, CA we went to a quilt shop in Morro Bay The Cotton Ball and they had oil cloth pre-cut in half yard pieces. I couldn't resist making a tote bag to use when grocery shopping. Isn't it cute? I bought several more pieces so that I can make additional bags for myself as well as for gifts.

Fruits and Veggies

I was recently in Las Vegas at a Mary Ellen Hopkins seminar with my sister. I brought us each a tower of fruit and vegetable fat quarters and my sister brought us each a few yard of basket weave fabric. We combined our fabric and our ideas to make the blocks for this quilt.

I just got back from a Two Wacky Women Retreat in Cambria, CA. We had a small group which gave me plenty of time to put my blocks together and complete my quilt top. I love how it came out.

I'm Back

Life has been very hectic lately but I'm back and will try to once again update on a regular basis.





My best friend Marilyn and I just finished vending at the new International Quilt Show in Long Beach, California and it was a huge success. This was our first really big show so we didn't have anything to compare it to but we were busy, busy, busy both Friday and Saturday. Sunday was a slow day which seems to be typical for many of local quilt shows.

Here is a picture of our booth. We had a great location and hopefully we'll be able to get the same one again next year.

I have been busy working on many old and new projects. Over the next few day's I'll post some pictures of what I've been doing.

For now........Enjoy!

So Now I'm Making Bowls

So now I've started making bowls. These are clothesline bowls made using the book "It's a Wrap". I'm really having a great time and will now be starting my next one. They are very easy, just a little time consuming to wrap the fabric around the clothesline. I finally figured out that it's a lot easier and less boring to sit in front of the TV and wrap a whole bunch of clothesline before sitting down at the sewing machine. The sewing part goes really fast. I loaned my book to someone so I couldn't remember exactly how to end it but it's ended in any event.

Retreat Gifties

Two Wacky Women is hosting another retreat in just a few weeks. Marilyn (the other Wacky Women) and I got together and made these for all of our guests. We managed to find the zippers at a swap meet for very few $'s so the trick was finding fabric that matched or at least coordinated with them. I lucked out when I found this cute Robert Kaufman fabric that has thimbles all over it. We added the lavender for contrast and Wa La, cute little coordinating sets.



The pattern for the notebook cover is still available on the Two Wacky Women website. They are very easy and make a great gift.