Catching up a little...Or a lot (actually)

Wow.  Way to let a blog slip.  Here's a bit of catch up...

June

I saw this pattern on a raffle quilt for the Surfrider Foundation and loved it!  I bought a bunch of tickets but didn't win, so I had to make one!  It was really fun to make.  Here it is being quilted with a wacky rambling rose type design.

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This was part of a top (the hexagons) I got on Ebay a few years ago, finally designed and finished it this way...

Love how it looks on the back too.  I had so much fun quilting this one!

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Mid-July

Lovely drive down the coast on annual family berry picking foray...past Davenport where the super cool windsurfers hang out...

Got our ollallieberries picked!

 Ate dessert!

Made the jam!

(Note to Kim, in case she reads this...I have saved a jar for you and am just trying to get to the PO to send it!  Don't cry!  It might be Christmas, but it will come! lol)

Had a super fun time pattern testing for awesome pattern designer Joan Lucchese.  Check her out at http://www.caliquilter.com/

Close-up...The colors are a bit better...

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For my dad's birthday, a new quilt:

Those little blue squares are covering the ends of the straight pins I used to baste the quilt.  They are actually cut up pieces of an ensolite pad from the camping gear.

August

Another test project for Joan!  She had some adorable modern embroidery on her pillow...I just used a bit of vintage needlework and some fabric on mine to test the pillow construction directions.

So fun.

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Then, I finally decided to check out the quilter's guild here in Pacifica and OMG I can't tell you how nice they all are!  What a fun group!

So I joined them at a few meetings and then went to take a class with them

My first one! (class that is!)

It was at a hotel with this fabulous carpeting all through the hallways and the lobby...

We made this center, from a pattern called "Scrapbasket" by Kim Bracket

I can't leave anything alone obviously, well there was just too much red , so I had to break it up a bit so I tipped that row and inserted a bit of yellow...

It needs a final border.  Still working on that.

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This was fun to lay out and put together for the Pacifica guild...A raffle quilt to benefit the music department at my son's high school.  It's all music fabrics.

I put three more borders on it after this picture, but didn't take another photo.  I look forward to seeing it after it's quilted!

September

PIQF

My first ever quilt show and 2 more classes!

Jean Brown:  Hawaiian applique class.  That was fun!  A great class for beginners.  And Jean's work is really so well done.  Lots of great patterns to choose from and trace out and I also finally (!) got one of those "Aunt Becky" tools to try out!  I've been wanting to try one of those for months!

And then a full day class with Rita Hutchens!  Wow!  That was a really interesting class.  You might want to check out her work and techniques  here:  http://www.ritahutchens.com/  And check out her youtube videos, they are amazing.        The photo here is of HER work, btw, not mine!!!  I took this picture close up of one of her quilts she had in the show and I am just fascinated by the quilting detail.

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Then I was making a denim purse, special ordered by my mom for her birthday, and well, I had all that denim out, y'know...

Right.

This is the back where you can see the quilting better:

I quilted it with embroidery thread.  It made my hand very sore but I love how it looks.

October

I got ALL the stuff off my design wall that was stacked on top of my RRCB from 2 years ago, and got that basted and ready to quilt!

Got a bunch of other basting done at the same time so now have these 3 done and ready just to be bound.

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I really don't know what possessed me but last week I (finally) took out the stupid boring sink that was in my teeny tiny powder room on the first floor so I could put in this beauty, which I have actually had for going on 11 years now, just waiting to be installed.  I guess I just couldn't take it anymore!

Just finished patching the wall and I have the final counter top cut out.  All I have left is to build the cabinet to support it! and then do the tile and hook it up!  It's going to be gorgeous!

Yeah, I know it looks a bit dire now...I think I can get it done pretty quick here though.

I have like 20 people coming here for Christmas, so I HAVE to get it done!  lol

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Today, I rooted a bouncy ball out from down the drain in my shower.  So THAT's why it was draining so slow! A bouncy ball!  Whaaaa?
lol

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Thanksgiving is tomorrow.

Luckily, we don't have company here for this holiday.  We get to be company at my mom's house.  YAY!!

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I've got all my fabrics picked out and ready to go for this year's Bonnie Hunter Mystery, Easy Street!!

I love the name!  And Bonnie's color choices work just fine for me!

I am so excited (as usual) for the mystery to start and am also soooo glad she says she'll be going "easy" on us this year!  Perfect!!

Cheers! and Happy Thanksgiving to You!!

Love,

Sarah