Loving Stitches Quilt Shop

Yesterday, I drove to Fayetteville, North Carolina, to take my Gammill sewing machine in to be serviced at Loving Stitches Quilt Shop.  It was a beautiful day for an easy drive.  Warren and Jake lifted the machine out of the back of Sweet Sue the Subaru, and parked it on a cart.  I listed all the things I wanted them to look at.  It might be ready as soon as tomorrow!

While I was there, I had to do a little browsing.  I promised myself I would not buy anything, since I am packing and getting ready to move.  But...I saw these little quilted baby shoes.

 

I had to get the pattern to make some for new granddaughter-to-be!

 

 

They have high-tops, ballet shoes, even cowboy boot patterns.

 

I love the way the fabric bolts are arranged at Loving Stitches.

 

 

And then there is this rainbow wall of batiks.

 

 

Walking into the restroom area, there is a painted flower and a quilt.

 

 

And on the bathroom wall is this quilt, hung diagonally.

 

 

Today the painters that I hired finished up.  The last job was to refinish the stairs and paint the spindles.  As soon as you enter my front door, the  wooden staircase is gleaming!  This picture was taken even before they were varnished.

 

 

On my way to Fayetteville, I left Kasey at the kennel to get a bath and a haircut (and get her out of the painters' hair!)  Maybe she won't shed so much with her much shorter hair-do!

 

 

 

 

Because the stain on the stairs was not dry last night, we went to Cary to spend the night with our son Dave and his wife Emily.  Their friend Charissa was also visiting overnight.  We had some ziti and wine and a soak in their hot tub.  What a nice way to end the day!

 

Now that the painters are done, we have to get ready for the carpet cleaners.  Lots of boxes to take to the pod, lots of furniture to clear off.  They won't move any furniture with electronics on it.  Got to put away the felting machine and sewing machine and lots of other gadgets.  But we are getting really close to being DONE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sock Monkeys Child's Quilt

Today I quilted a child-size quilt. The pattern is Twist and Turn, and the fabric has adorable sock monkeys.

Linda asked for a fun, swirly overall design. We chose Signature "Parchment" cotton thread.

The backing is a thick, luscious, yellow flannel. I always think the back looks very textural when the backing is flannel.

Tomorrow I will be heading to Fayetteville, NC, to the Tar Heel Quilt Guild's show on the day before it opens. Members of the Carolina Longarm Association take turns visiting local quilt shows to award the Best Longarm Quilting ribbon. Mary, Ann, and I will be choosing from among 78 quilts to award one ribbon! That should take awhile!

While in Fayetteville, I hope to visit Loving Stitches Quilt Shop. Then it is a quick hop from there to my son's home in South Carolina for a short visit, since it is not too far. Even though I just saw them last weekend at the beach, can't resist another chance to get my "grandbaby"fix. Even though they are not babies anymore!

Wednesday Work-in-Progress: Flower Garden

Okay, back to quilty subjects. I did get all of last Wednesday's WIP blocks and sashings pieced together. I like the way the greens in the sashings blend the assortment of varied green fabrics used in these exchange blocks from the late eighties or early nineties. The blocks had every shade of green from mint to emerald to khaki.

I also like the crispness added to these old blocks through the use of the black "coping strips" and posts, and the bright new fabrics used in the outer borders of each block. I think I am still going to add another border of the Moda rose fabric, which will make this quilt large enough to be a bed topper or a nice-sized snuggle quilt.

Yesterday I made a fast trip to Fayetteville, NC, to visit the Loving Stitches quilt shop.

This delightful shop is also a Bernina and Gammill dealership. With 10,00 square feet, they have a large selection of fabrics, kits, threads, and other supplies that many local shops do not carry. There is a lot of eye candy on the walls and displays.

And I was able to purchase an entire 40-yard roll of Hobbs 80/20 batting without paying shipping charges. Of course, I found lots of other fun things while I was there.

Since I had to come through Raleigh on the way home, I did a little more shopping. I am happy to know that Jerry's Art-a-Rama has a whole section dedicated to fabric dyes and paints. They carry a good supply of Jacquard fabric paints, Procion dyes, iColor dyes, Shiva Paint Stiks, and best of all, they have Caran D'Ache Neocolor II water-soluble crayons available on open stock.

I have a large tin with many pre-selected colors, but for some reason it did not include any yellows, oranges, or browns. I took care of that problem!

Today it is off to lunch with one of my former teaching buddies who now lives at the beach. Her mom was a quilter, and Marcia wants me to use some of her stash to make a quilt for her daughter. They have fabric purchased in several trips to Italy, Holland and other travels. I don't really need another project or fabric from someone else's stash to add to my crowded sewing room, but I would like to do this for her. Problem: she wants a double wedding ring, which I don't really know how to make. Maybe I can talk them into something with squares...