How the Sewcation went . . .

I think I am slowly recovering from my sewcation! It was lots of fun and lots of  WORK!!!!

Sister Diane and I had very specific plans and specific projects to work on.  The first was the party slippers pattern out of Christmas fabric for the HoHoHo blog hop. Cute pattern, but it wasn't until slipper #3 that I figured out the best way to make them! (See previous post for photos).

Diane and I had planned to complete a quilt made out of the Jason Yenter - Winter Wonderland fabric we purchased for our online store (In the Beginning Fabrics).  The name of the online store is CadiCorners.  (More on that later).

On Monday evening, I started cutting it out. We had decided to do a triple Irish Chain pattern. Of course, being the gals we are, we couldn't use a pattern with the math already done, Nooooo! We had to  change it up and go through the (hassle) of figuring out the master block size with all the other sizes involved! Trust me, it is so much smarter to use a standard size quilt block. Cutting fabric at 10pm and continuing on into the wee hours of the next day is NOT smart when you have to cut 1 3/4" strips. It would have been so much easier if they were 1 1/2" or 2" strips!

Having the strips for block A all cut out, we finally decided to call it a day (night) and head to bed. Early on Tuesday morning, I started sewing. I sewed, and sewed, and sewed and (well, you get the picture!)

Here's what things looked like:

 

I sewed the strip sets together, then cut those into 1 3/4" strips. There are 7 fabrics in a strip, 7 strips in a block.  Notice I had containers with the sewn together strip sets. They were labeled

A, B, C, and D.

 

There are a total of 32 blocks of the above combination.

 

 

Block B has a total of 31. I don't have a photo of those in progress but here's a close up of one taken after the whole quilt was quilted:

 



Diane and I took the completed quilt top to the local Gammil Dealer up in St. Albans. Both my sister and I have had long arming classes but this was a first using a Statler. This machine is computerized and we chose two different snowflake patterns for the two different blocks.
Here is a photo of putting the quilt on the frame:

Here's a photo of the screen up on the wall. This is how we were able to lay out what the machine would do for us:

This is Julie (with her back to us in the photo). She and her husband run Cowles Sewing and Quilting up in St. Albans. Julie was wonderful and worked with us to help us get this quilt totally quilted on Saturday. Diane is in the photo too! She was pretty pooped when it was done! I was there to help put the quilt on the frame, get started with choosing the snowflake patterns, run through setting up the first two rows to be quilted, and then I took Mom back to Diane's house.  I returned a couple of hours later to find Diane almost done! She had two final rows to set up and quilt, then we had to turn the quilt on the frame to quilt the remaining two borders.  This took from 10am until just after 6pm to do. Basically, Diane and I were taught how to use this machine.

So, here are the photos that I have of the quilt. I left Vermont to go home to Phoenix on Sunday, August 11th. On Sunday evening, my sister had completed the quilt -She sewed the binding on. I do not have a photo of the completed quilt - but this will give you an idea of what it looks like:

 

Diane made a gorgeous Christmas tree skirt - she just needs to get it quilted and photographed. Then I will post that!
I will be working on a Christmas stocking here at home.
Well, so long for now!

Where to find the pattern for Party Slippers . .

Many who visited during the blog hop asked where they can obtain a pattern for the slippers. Well, I am pleased to let you all know - my sister and I are opening an on-line shop. Please understand that we have very few products at this time BUT, we invite you to check back often as we plan on growing. You may visit:   www.cadicorners.com 
Go to the online area, and voila, you may purchase the pattern (and some fabric to make the slippers with). We will include our sheet of tips and hints for making these slippers with every purchase.
Thank you for visiting!

AND THE WINNER IS . . .

Fiesta!


OK, so I didn't draw yesterday - I was traveling for work and when I got home I was pretty pooped!
So, (I like to do things the hard way), I printed off all the comments, had my daughter cut them up, put them in a big bowl, mix them all up, and draw a name.

Fiesta will receive:
3 Fat quarters from Jason Yenter's line Winter Wonderland - In the Beginning Fabrics
gripper fabric for the sole of the slipper
The pattern  -  Party Slippers by Aunties Two
My hints and suggestions on how to make these easier (better).

Thank you all for your sweet comments and cheering on!

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . . Ho Ho Ho

Wow, it is August 9th already! So hard to believe. Today is the last day of the Ho Ho Ho Blog Hop and I want to thank you all for hopping by! Greatest of Thanks to Carol of Just Let Me Quilt, our Cheerleader for this hop, and to Mdme. Samm, for all her inspiration and well wishing!

I had to travel to Colorado in June (and July) for work and visited a quilt shop in Golden (Golden Quilt Company). While there, I saw the cutest little Party Slippers made up and decided this was what I would make for the Blog Hop.

When I was young (I know, that was a very long time ago, but it seems like yesterday), my Aunt and Uncle  would buy all of my brothers and sisters and I (there were 6 of us) a pair of flannel pajamas for Christmas. Mom and Dad would let us open up their gift to us on Christmas Eve so that we could wear them to bed - while we dreamed of dancing sugar plums. (Trust me, we didn't ever sleep much on Christmas Eve!)

My kids like to have "new" things to wear on Christmas Eve also, but we have gotten lazy and usually end up doing toe socks or fuzzy socks.
Because we live in Phoenix, this is the PERFECT Christmas Slipper:

 This is the underside with the non-slip base

The pattern I used is called "Party Slippers" by Aunties Two. When I showed my first slipper to my sister, she decided to pull rank (she is older) and let me know she could give me suggestions to make it better. By the time I made a third slipper, I knew the improvements were perfect. If I can do this, anyone can!

NOW for the GIVE-AWAY!!!
I have made up a kit for one lucky winner to make a pair of their own Christmas Slippers. It will have the Jason Yenter - In The Beginning - Winter Wonderland fabrics shown in the top pair (one fat quarter of each fabric), the slipper gripper stuff on the bottom, and the pattern. I will also include the little tips that were helpful to make these slippers great.

Just leave me a comment and tell me about your favorite Christmas Tradition. If you follow me, you may enter a second time and let me know you are a follower. On August 14th, I will randomly choose a winner so those who are behind in their hopping will have a chance to win.
Good Luck All!

Now, don't stop here, hop on over to check out what these other ladies have made!

August 9

Moose Stash Quilting

Cathy’s Chatter  (you are here)

Darlington Delights

Life in the Scrapatch

Quilt n Queen

Forget-Me-Not Stitches

Quilted Delights

AnnieOak Designs

Sew Peace to Peace

Wips & Tuts

Just Keep Swimming

Sew We Quilt

Count Down to all Kinds of FUN!!!!

Only 4 days (to work) before leaving for my SEWCATION!!!! Saturday morning, bright and early, I will hop on a plane and head for the Northeast part of the country.  I have much to do before then. . . I need to make sure all of my work (job work) is done before I leave - don't want any of that hanging over my head while I am gone. I will be spending the next few days on conference calls and finishing up reports. Then, when my work day is over, I will be doing other work.  I have a goal of sending out 4 packages this week. Three of them will be baby gifts, one will be a box of goodies to my son who has been deployed to Afghanistan. 

My second countdown is (drum roll please!) . . . The Ho Ho Ho Blog hop begins on Wednesday, July 31st.  I will be featured on August 9th  AND I will be having a give-away!!

So, be sure to check back.

Sewcation

Just two more weeks and then I get to fly to Vermont for a week of sewing with my sister Diane!!! Of course, I will also spend some time with my Mom and I will visit with my other sister Debbie, and stop by to check out my little brother James' new home theatre room.  I saw photos and it looks pretty impressive - so I will have to plan to have some of my projects at the hand-work stage when I go to his house. (you know, so that I can work while watching a movie).
My dear hubby, Louie, is sitting this vacation out. He didn't think it would be much fun to go all the way to Vermont to listen to my sister and I yack and sew every day (I can't imagine why).
Of course, there is one more thing I will be doing when in Vermont.  This is super exciting too!  Turns out the folks I went to High School with are having a multi year reunion while I am back there. Graduates from Essex Junction High School from 1969 through 1979 will be getting together. This will be the first time attending for me. Both my sisters fall into that category too! (I also have an older brother that does, but he lives in Texas).
Yesterday was a pretty successful sewing day for me. I managed to put together 10 burp cloths (for gifts), stitch out part of a quilt on my embroidery machine, and get a few more hearts completed for the same quilt!  I am off traveling for work this week but look forward to coming home and hitting the machine again. I would like to have that quilt done before my sewcation.
Sister Diane and I have a very specific, important mission and I can't wait to share it all with you once it is done!
Until later, have a wonderful week!

A Little Tease

I spent some  time over the weekend pulling out projects and planning others. I had a bit of a panic attack when I thought I had lost part of the pattern to Nick and Kathryn's quilt. BUT, thankfully, I found the whole thing along with all the pieces.  As I read through the pattern, it became quite clear WHY I stopped when I did!  The next section of this quilt will require quite a bit of concentration! But I do have a plan!!
Meanwhile, I thought I would work on some of the others I have been planning. 
For my friend Kim, you will get a kick out of this!  My "princess" quilt I was planning has now become one of hearts! I decided NOT to spend any more money and use up what I have!  Here's what I accomplished Sunday:

I am planning this one as I go along!

 

We'll see what the finished project looks like. . .

 

 

Well, I'm off to Colorado in the morning so my sewing will have to wait until next weekend.

Until then . . .