Finishes & Finds

Monster Applique Top; QUILTED Custom (freehand)

I had to post pics of every monster. They're adorable!! LOVE this quilt & can't help wondering who the lucky little one is?

Floral Applique Top; QUILTED Custom (freehand)

Hearts in Squares Top; QUILTED with Puffy Heart Meander (freehand)

Black & Yellow Top; QUILTED with Puzzle Piece Meander (freehand)

Purple Fan Top; QUILTED with Puzzle Piece Meander (freehand)

 Embroidery in Blue; QUILTED interior SID & Ribbon Meander in Border

Last but not least, I went to the Hershey Quilt Show with my BFF & came home with rather meager findings. You'll notice there's NO FABRIC!?!?!? 

Hershey Quilt Show Loot

I went to the Hershey Quilt Show with a couple of friends this past Sunday, and came home with some fantastic loot!

This is an over-view picture. The pictures below separate it all into groups...

WOOL - Since I did my snowman candle mat, I'm hooked!! It's fantastic to stitch on & I think it looks fabulous to boot! I haven't tried felting it yet, but that's up there on my "things-to-try-soon" list!

NOTIONS: a couple lighted crocheted hooks, a chalk liner, rubber thimble, Marvy erasable fabric marker, a few HQ reusable bobbins, and that round thing is a chalk eraser and/or fuzzy remover.

I didn't buy much fabric. Unless I'm looking for something specialized, most likely something novelty, I resist buying fabric at the shows because it's darn expensive. So I look for smaller cuts of novelty for the most part.

FAT QUARTERS: pickles, "manly", lime green, orange w/spider webs, "I love soccer", two purple bats, and a couple candy corns.

Had to show a close-up of the "manly" -- They're more difficult to find. I cannot fathom what I'd make with it, but well, you know, I still NEEDED it.

FREEBIES: Oh yeah, you read that right!!! I got all these various sized cuts below FOR FREE!! I guess the folks at Epicurean Crafts thought I'd spent enough at their booth that I'd earned some free loot!! I'm all for that :) 

(the stuff I bought from them are the patterns at the end for stitchery)

THREAD: Cones for the HQ16

ORNAMENTS: Halloween & Christmas patterns for felted wool

SEWING: a Bible cover & a 12"X 12" mini quilt for summertime

STITCHERY: Halloween, Autumn, runner, and Easter wall-hanging, and a book of "edgings"

Are you all familiar with "stitchery"? I've come to love it! It's simpler than full-out embroidery & works beautifully in my very old home. I was thrilled to see so much of it at the show this year. Last year this wasn't the case & choices were more limited.

That's the end of my loot-sharing. The pile seems a tad small to me when I consider the total price tag, but alas, I know I haven't picked the cheapest hobby. 

AND I don't have the most restraint when I find myself in a room filled with sewing/quilting stuff... or books for that matter... or in bakeries ... or in any other restaurant... or in an education store... office supplies stores...

Perhaps I need to work on self-restraint??

My Etsy Shop is Open!

After YEARS of talking about doing it, I've finally set up shop on etsy! 

I'm just getting started, so there are just about a dozen items listed. It'll be interesting to see how I like it? I often look at projects & think, "Ooohh that's lovely eye candy, but WHAT WOULD I DO WITH IT?????" 

Sometimes I just want to make something for the pure fun of it, the art of it, but then my practical side kicks in telling me if it's not useful & pertinent to my life then I should move on & save my money. 

Sooo now I have AN EXCUSE to make things... sooo I'll need to have fabric & whatnot to make those things... soooo I might just have an excuse to purchase some SUPPLIES while at the Hershey Quilt Show  coming up later this month! 

WOOT! Do you think I might be able to translate this into "I need a working budget for my longarm & etsy businesses" to my hubby?? (heehee this here mind is allllways thinkin')

I do hope you'll pop in to visit me at etsy & give me your feedback. Since I'm just getting started, I'd love help shortening my learning curve. Though it seems fairly straight-forward, I'm hoping I didn't forget to do/say something important!

Okay, onto some show & tell...

I finished this quilt a couple weeks ago, but since I had to deliver it back to Stitch & Craft, I've allowed a bit of a delay, never wanting someone to see their quilt posted here before seeing it for themselves!! That just seems rude!!

I wish you all a good day! We've been blessed with a gorgeous, sunny day here in Lancaster, PA.

We have 6 & 1/2 weeks of summer left. Exactly half our summer is over! How 'bout instead we just say WE STILL HAVE 6 WEEKS OF SUMMER LEFT! 

(How's that for looking at our lemonade glass as half full??)