Thursday, November 11, 2010

I'm back!!!!!!!!!!

Do you every have those down days, you are not motivated to do anything, and you never get going.....well guess what I've been that way for a few weeks.  Not sure why but yesterday..... I helped Mama Spark make some pillowcases. From the cutting to the final press we completed 8 pillow cases .... 4 pairs for Christmas gifts in 2 1/2 hours. It made me feel I accomplished something.....Check out her website as I'm sure her blog will have pictures posted, and today, just a compliment from LTW and a new follower has put a smile on my face. OH yes and DH is back from England....that surely put a smile on my face. It is always a relief when his flight has landed safely..... It is nice to have him back home. Always miss him when he is away!!!

And now ..... my newest follower is Madamme Samm. It was like winning a blog giveaway. I am thrilled......Madamme Samm you made my day!!!! THANK YOU....I'm going to try to post more often. I've not been commenting on many of the wonderful blogs I've been reading in the past few weeks either sooo today I changed that....I left a lot of comments. That must have been how Madamme Samm found me....by leaving comments. I read Aunt Polly's Porch blog. Love the owl mug rug. Check out her blog. I did leave a comment on Polly's blog.   I also read Stash Manicure and loved Madamme Samm's guest blogger Holly Mabutas. Holly's blog 'Sprinkles of Thought' is WONDERFUL!!.....I commented and then I had 103 followers!!!!  I wish I was as confident at blogging as I am about doing binding. I've decided to blog more often and say less in each blog.

And now for the compliment.......I love to do the bindings on quilts and I've never thought my bindings were anything special. I've been called the Quilt Police by some and those very same have asked me how I do my binding. I've shown many many quilters.... how I do my binding. They are so appreciative and now love their results. They have even tracked me down at the gym. I've offered to bind quilts for a number of my friends...some with hand issues and some with time issues and guess what....they keep coming back with more quilts..... so they must like my nice crisp mitered corners.

JRQAL binding  02

I recently did a binding for my friend, LTW who is a very busy lady....works full time, has a farm with all the farm chores to go along with having animals. She is a long arm quilter (and a good one at that) and she tells me every time I bind a quilt for her "when I grow up I want to be able to do binding like you". She is soooo sweet. She recently quilted a "beast of a quilt" (king size) for a customer. I bound the quilt and this is what her customer emailed her.... "I'll also say your binding work is perfect. I've done a lot of sewing in my life and I can certainly appreciate all the work that went into that hand work." LTW emailed her customer with this "I am so glad you like the way the project came out. I have to confess that a friend of mine did your binding and her work is exquisite! Some day when I grow up, I want to be able to do binding as well as she does!"

Pretty soon I'll be saying to LTW "some day when I grow up, I want to be able to do long arm quilting as well as you do!" Yes, I bought LTW's old .... but new to me.... Gammill.  She's upgraded to the computer guided and I'll be hand guiding.  I'm about to learn long arm quilting and I'm getting pumped.....hope I like it as well as I like doing the binding.

The 'Yellow Brick Road' pattern by Terry Atkinson is a favorite of mine and I've added the 9-1/2" embroidered blocks from Bird Brain Design's 'Snowmen & Reindeer Blue Work Quilt' pattern to the lap size and voila!!!!!!! I've stitched not 1, not 2, not 3 but 4 sets of the applique blocks. Only one set has been sewn into a quilt top.  Maybe I should have a give away......what do you think?  Keep following me and there might be a giveaway soon.

yellow brick road 2

Here are some up close blocks......

Sman Reindeer Bird Buddies

and this one......

Feathered Friends


and last but not least.....

Mitten Clothesline

Happy quilting and thanks for visiting.....

Pauline