Goin to a Quilt Show...Every botty!

Don't you want to go-go, common now!

I'm off to Long Beach Quilt Festival with my friend Hilary.  She is a lot of fun to hang out with and a wealth of knowledge.

Agenda for the show!

• I might spot a Jaybird, my future cali-girl neighbor
• Poking my nose into Beyond the Reef
• Drooling over Long Arm Machines
• Grab some choice woolie stuff
• Oh and apparently a bunch of my friends have stuff hanging in the show

I know we like pictures, but I don't have any yet.  I will do my best to forget myself and remember that I have a camera with me.  Check back tomorrow to see if I remembered the camera!

Two weeks now with no machine.  I feel like I'm walking around with my arms in casts.  Don't know what to do with myself.  So the LB Quilt show is very timely.

Hope you all get to sew something this weekend!

Love Aunti Nicole

Call the Doctor!

I was free motion machine quilting on my Bernina and fighting a losing battle.  Thread breaking and stitch tension, just going nuts.  My friend Hilary said its the tension.  Yes, I agree, lots of tension going on.  My husband Pete suggested getting it serviced at least 3 times in the last couple weeks which is a great idea, but then I'd have to go without, yikes!  So I caved took it in to Moore's and they said it hasn't been serviced since 2008...oops.  I thought it was only a year ago, but time gets away from me.

I should be taking it in at least once a year and maybe even twice.  I bought a service contract so now I can take it in as often as I like and they'll fix everything.  Sounds like a great deal.  The Bernina is a great machine but I have run it ragged, so a little RandR for Berny and he'll be right as rain.

"Pete says why don't you just buy a long arm machine, I know you want to!"...Oh baby... sweet talker!  So now I am in the market for a long arm.  Hopefully next year, I'll be able to make that happen.

Considering the

• Tin Lizzie18 
• Nolting or the 
• HQ Sweet Sixteen.  

Want to stay around the $6,000 mark.

Any suggestions?  What works what doesn't?

Hope you get to sew this weekend.
Love
Aunti Nicole

Quilts of Valor

On Monday, July 11th, my Flying Geese Quilt Guild had a sew in for Quilts of Valor.  This is a foundation whose goals is to make quilts for service members and veterans touched by wartime.  We had a great turn out and some beautiful quilts were lovingly put together, every one with the utmost care.

We had a great turnout with about 50 people and had a pot luck dinner and snacks to keep us fortified.  I have no idea how many quilts were created by the end but the results were amazing.  Quilts of Valor had a representative there who provided kits of blocks and fabric to put them together.  I believe some of the blocks were created by our members as well.  

I am so proud of the work done by our guild.  They are such an amazing group of women and all of them ready to lend a hand.  Please check out Quilts of Valor to see the wonderful work that this group is doing for our men and women.

Have a wonderful week.
Love
Aunti
Nicole

Block Wisperer

I am working on an applique project from a pattern by Pearl Pereira called Wildflowers.  A few years ago, my neighbor Betty and her two daughters invited me to attend a four day retreat in Temecula with Pearl.  Pearl was so much fun and I learned a lot.  If you are not familiar with her work, she does applique using freezer paper and starch.  I love using this technique for smaller pieces.  Everything comes out so clean after prep that the applique part is a no brainer.  If you get a chance to take a class with her, I highly recommend it.  She also has some beautiful patterns to choose from.  http://www.p3designs.com/

I started this project at the retreat and complete a block or two every now and again.  There are 25 blocks and a beautiful border in the pattern.  I haven't decided if I'm doing all of them or if I will just finish as it.  I guess the blocks will tell me when they are ready......"nope not yet" they say.

Yeah, ok.. I know I'm talking to fabric.. but... we spend enough time together that we are old friends and I trust the fabric to give it to me straight.  Well most of the time anyways.  I'm sure you understand.

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend and you get a chance to quilt.

Love,

Aunti

Nicole

Sandwiches again?

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

I am so excited to share the news with you....I am the guest blogger today at Madame Samm's Stash Manicure.  Please visit and check it out!  If you came from there, I hope you enjoy my blog.

Saw Transformers on Monday.  As a computer geek, I get nerded out at the CGI and the sound effects in these types of movies.  Yeah... I liked this one too!

Sew I have had the whole weekend to catch up on some projects.

I picked up this philanthropy project in May when I attended our Flying Geese Quilt Guild meeting.  Top was done and they provided the batting and back.  I spent Saturday morning sandwiching, quilting and binding this little fairy quilt.








Sandwiched one small quilt for hand quilting.  And 3 more lap sized quilts for machine quilting.  I am a sandwich machine!  They call me.......El Panini!  Well not really, but I can't beleive I actually all of them ready to go.  Now comes the quilting.

Thank you all for visiting and your comments.

Have a wonderful week and talk to you soon!

Love,
Aunti
Nicole

Where to start....

Hello my Dears,

Not too many posts in June as it was a very full month.  Had a couple of business trips with a vacation crammed in between and even 2 funerals.  Quick 2 day business trip to Chandler, AZ then back for a day and 10 hr drive up to Mt Shasta to watch my eldest Nephew Miller graduate from High School.  What a great young man he has turned out to be and I am very proud to be his Aunti.  Here's Dana, Miller and Lou

We had a couple of days to hang with them and my Mom and Dad.  Dana's kids are such a joy and we had a great time.

So then Pete and I made our way to Morro Bay to spend some quiet time.  No that's not Pete and I on the dock, but we didn't do too much more than that for 3 days.  Morro Bay rock was covered in fog for 3 days while we were there...and we loved it.  We sat in the hotel room, which had a fantastic view the fog and read our kindles.  We took walks to eat then came back for more reading and relaxing.  Noice!

The Monday back from vacation I headed up to San Jose for a 3 day trip to work with NASA.  While in San Jose I received news that Pete and my dear friend Ludie passed away.  She was a wonderful lady that Pete and I just adored.

Still in San Jose, I receive the news that my darling Gramma Vi passed away.  I am so thankful to God for taking her from her pain, for giving her such a rich life with family and also for allowing me to have such a great relationship with her.  Oh how she loved her kids 6, grandkids 22 and great grandkids 12.  What a treasure she has been and will always be to me.

Picture of her and my Dad, Leon Jr. aka Buddy.





So needless to say, not a whole lot of sewing this month.  I did get my Bee Splendid blocks in the mail to Tracey before June was over.

Challenge was 2 - 12 1/2" blocks using HSTs.  She provided the fabric.   I like the way they came out and am looking forward to what the rest of the group comes up with.

I have 3 days to sew and no other plans, except to catch up on my blog maybe.  Maybe a couple of movies... but thats it!   Oh and maybe reading a book...but thats all I'm going to do...and a zentangle...  oh drat thats how it all happens.






Hope you all get to spend time with family and quilt this long weekend.

Love to you all,

Aunti Nicole