Update on my Mother

 

My Birth Family

 My Sister, Tracy, Me, my Mother, Olivia, my younger brother, Matt, and my older brother, Cordie.

Hi Friends,
It seems like I've slipped into a timeless zone where days and nights run into one another and I times passes in a flash.  I've been with my mother around the clock at Henry Ford Hospital in West Bloomfield MI since Feb. 26th.  She has been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer.  She has been unable to eat for a few months and tomorrow morning the Doctor is going to do a by-pass from her stomach to her intestines so she can eat again and get nourishment. 

I want everyone to know how very much I have appreciated all the e-mails, thoughts and prayers that have been sent.  While it has been a very difficult time, we have also taken time to laugh.
 

After my mom had to have a NG tube inserted I thought it might be good if she didn't feel all alone with tubes coming from her face.  This is my own personal style of an NG tube...LOL.  She cracked up laughing.....laughter is good for the soul.

I'm grateful for friends who have written blog posts for me.  I"ll be posting them soon.

Still Smiling,
(Lots of tears....but some smiles and laughter too.)

Kelly

Sewing and Stitchery Expo -- Puyallup, WA Part 2

Ok, so where were we from the last post? Oh yes, I was on the show floor looking around (aka, shopping). LOL!  I was good. I kept to my no new fabric promise. In fact, I only purchased stuff from one booth -- Pendleton Woolen Mills. (I know, I'm boring!)

This was what I got -- three cute little wool zipper pouches and those two wooden things. What are those wooden things? Take a guess and find out at the end of the post. (I gotta hook you into this somehow!)

I'm not much of a show shopper. I like to go to these shows to learn. This is where the event planners bring in the product reps and teachers to educate, educate, educate.

I did stop by a couple of booths and picked up some material to read and consider for later. This card was from a young lady sells a software she developed to make beautiful mosaic quilts. The quilt of a ballerina she had in her booth made me stop in my tracks. It was so beautiful! The card was from Tammie Bowser of the Mosaic Quilt Studio. Her software takes your photos and breaks the photo down to mosaic squares, groups and labels the pattern by color and also allows you to print a shopping list so you know how much of each fabric you need. Then you put these squares together, take a step away and gaze at the beautiful photo quilt you just created. She did a quick demo at her booth of the software and it looked like it would be really fun to use.

A second booth that caught my eye was that for the Pacific Northwest Art School. The pieces they had on display in their booth were amazing. The school was promoting their fiber art workshops. This school is located on Whidbey Island, north of the Seattle area. They offer coursework in areas ranging from painting, mixed media, fiber arts, and photography. Taking a course from them is now on my bucket list for sure!

My time on the floor was short, as it was time for my last class. I signed up for Boutique Buttons, A Designer Detail with Vaune Pierce. Vaune talked about how she creates buttons for her fine children's clothing line. She creates the buttons herself and uses all sorts fabrics. I loved how she uses embroidery to embellish her buttons. Here are some of her buttons. See the cute little "bee" button on the far left? that's a hand embroidered button!

Vaune also showed this beautiful dress, which was featured in an issue of Sew Beautiful magazine. These photos do not do this dress justice. The impeccable detailing in this garment were amazing! I learned one important tidbit in this class. The buttonhole with should equal the width of the button plus the thickness of the button!

I was lucky enough to catch up with an old friend at the show as well. She is from this area and moved back here about eight years ago. We used to work together at a major healthcare company. She now runs an embroidery business of her own (Spangler Stitchin Station) and does various shows here in Oregon. I'm so blessed to have been able to meet with her and see each other after all those years. She was one of the reasons I was so excited to be back in this area! Little did I know she would leave me with two surprises -- a stitched tote bag (which came in handy) and a very useful microfiber hair turban towel. She said her customers really like the turban towel!

So, let's revisit that photo from earlier. Have you figured out what the wooden things are yet? I'm keeping a pair as candlesticks. But they started out many years ago as wool bobbins! Yesiree, those are antique wool bobbins from Pendelton Woolen Mills. Aren't those cool? I'm thinking of using a couple pairs in my studio for something fun. (I have a sweet friend who purchased some more for me) I'm so excited to be living near a historical treasure of America. Pendleton Woolen Mills has a great history. I love their trading blankets and plaids.

We all enjoyed a nice fret-free drive home, showing our treasures and skipping the nasty Seattle traffic. And best of all, I got home just in time to get out of cooking dinner! LOL! It was a great way to spend the day.

And sorry I was good. Trust me, there were some beautiful, fabrics out there at the show -- tons of silks, hand painted fabrics, current sellers, and the like. But I was good and stuck to my word. I'm glad I did. I prefer to learn at these shows. That way I can refresh my creativity and start something fun.

I think I'm going to try my hand at making a scarf like one mentioned in part one of this post series. I can't wait!

 

Sewing and Stitchery Expo -- Puyallup, WA

Hello, it's me. Jean(ie) again posting for Kelly. She asked me post about my trip to the Sewing & Stitchery Expo in Puyallup, WA. For those who don't know me, I moved to the Seattle area just over a year ago from a year's stay in Ohio, and before that in Tennessee.

Excuse me for being rude and not introducing myself.

One of our local quilt shops here in Washington's wine country, Gathering Fabric in Woodinville, WA, offered a limo ride to the Expo. I was the first to sign up. Any excuse to avoid the traffic, the long distance from the parking to the show, and going alone. So this was our ride. And our driver took us right to the door. Isn't it spanky?

Let me tell ya something that is going to shock you to your very core. I gave up fabric buying for the Lenten season. Yes, you read that right. So what's a girl to do at shows? Well, I conquered that by signing up for several of the Expo's "One-Needle Seminars". I originally signed up for four, but gave away the tickets for one of them. So, please join me in the three Seminars I took.

The first seminar was with Pam Clarke of Designs with Lines entitled "Borders and Sashing, Machine Quilting Designs".  Pam showed us how she "grids-out" her borders and sashing using her pounce pad and stencils then free-motion quilts the designs using the grid lines as a guide.

Here's an example of sample borders all gridded (is that a word?) out.

Now here it is with the quilting -- using simple lines. How's that for easy??? We also got a free stencil with pretty designs just for attending! How nice is that? Pam Clarke has a wonderful book, Quilting Inside the Lines. Free-motion quilting isn't rocket science, and trust me. She makes it look VERRRRY easy!

This seminar was completely full and I can see why. I came out with a TON of fun ideas!

Next up on the class agenda was a seminar on thread. Those who know me know that I'm a HUGE thread geek -- major huge geek! Lee Fletcher, a national educator for Sulky Threads let a wonderful lecture on alternate uses of thread other than general sewing and quilting. I wish I could have taken a photo of some of the ideas. The handout featured a great tutorial on how to make tassels from thread. But my absolute favorite was a stitched scarf Lee made completely of Sulky brand thread! What she did was take two sheets of water-soluble stabilizer and stitched on a grid using her machine. She used a 60wt poly on the bobbin and a 12 wt on the top. Then accented the scarf grid with metallic and other threads, even using sari silk strips sewn onto the grid using your machine's decorative stitches!

Think about that and all the possibilities! That, my dear, made this thread geek smile. :)

You can see fun project ideas from Sulky here.

By then it was time for a break. I was in the midst of a hot flash (gotta love those), so I ditched my middle seminar (gave the ticket away), and headed out to the show floor for a drink and a short walk.

(image credit)

"Danger Will Robinson!"

Stay tuned to see what happened later (yep, I'm leaving y'all hanging). Did I succumb to the siren song of fabric? Or did I stay steadfast in my Lenten promise? Stay tuned to find out!
 

I'm Taking A Break

Hi Friends,
It is with a very heavy heart that I write to say I'll be taking a break from blogging.  I will have friends post for me and if you would like to be a guest on my blog, please e-mail me at IHaveANotion@yahoo.com

My mother is very ill and I'm going to be spending time with her.  Please keep her and our family in your thoughts and prayers.

The IHAN ® and Anita Goodesign Blog Hop is still scheduled for March 18-March 22. 


All orders placed on the I Have A Notion® website will continue to ship, but the shipping will not be immediate as it typically is.  It may be delayed for up to 4 days from the order date.

Thank you for your understanding.

Kelly

Mistyfuse Saved the Day!

Hey, y'all! It's Jean(ie) from Jean Creates. Kelly asked me post today for her today. Let's talk about quilting and one of my favorite IHAN products, Mistyfuse.

 

Pattern is Evening Bloom by Blackbird Designs

From their book entitled 2010 book entitled, Country Inn

 

For those that dare to venture over in my corner of the blogosphere, they know I'm working on an applique quilt right now. I'll be honest, the project started as a class two years ago (can you believe it?). The class was to learn an applique technique using a fusible interfacing that you stitch and turn with your fabric to look like needle turn applique. I'm a beginner sewist and not really adept at sewing curves (and my pattern has a lot of curves!) and the class method was quite cumbersome with all those little pieces, hence it became a UFO. It just wasn't happening. You know the story, as I'm sure you've been there once or twice in your life.

 

Snoqualmie Pass, Washington State

 

Well, one afternoon I was riding through the Northern Cascades (here in Washington State), and had an AHA! Experience. see that misty cloud in the mountain pass? That was the spark -- Fuse it with Mistyfuse! Until then I totally forgot that I had Mistyfuse on hand, so I turned it into a raw edge project instead.

I spent two days tracing cutting and fusing itty bitty flower shapes to get all the flowers on the quilt. And I've got to say that the Mistyfuse rocked socks! I took my parchment and traced the shape from the book, fused some Mistyfuse to fabric scraps using my iron and non-stick sheet (you can use parchment as well), and then put the shape template on top and cut. And when I was done with all my shapes, I fused my pieces to the block. Easy peasy!

I've always been a huge fan of this product and it's versatility. You can make fabric using this stuff, you can even baste a quilt with it! I betcha didn't know that. Just cut the Mistyfuse up into little pieces and sprinkle it in your quilt sandwich. I read that on a tip sheet.

Why do I choose this product first when fusing? Very simply put, it's the easiest to use. With Mistyfuse you don't have to worry whether or not you have the sewable or non-sewable version. There's no waste (I save my scraps and re-use them), the adhesive won't gum up your scissors, needle or sewing machine, and most importantly, it is lightweight and holds strong.  You can barely tell it's there and the fabric maintains it's drape (unlike other fusibles). That's why Mistyfuse is the fusible of my choice.

I'm pleased to say that Mistyfuse saved the day!

Three Days Left

 Voting ends Feb. 28....just 3 days left!

 

You know I voted, but have you gone over to SewCalGal's Golden Quilter Awards and voted yet?  I can't keep reminding you like this!  Nike says it best, "Just Do It!"  LOL

Smiles,
Kelly

Beautiful Couched Threads and Free Motion Embroidery by Jean Overmeyer

Jean is going to be teaching, "Expressions of the Heart" at the Kaleidoscope of Quilts this July for the Glass City Quilt  Commission.  I'm a big fan of Jean's and was fortunate enough to have taken her class this past Sunday.

PLEASE NOTE:  The Glass City Quilt Commission will post a list of classes for the Kaleidoscope of Quilts on March 1, 2013 and registration for classes begin March 15, 2013.

There were lots of samples and ideas laid out on the front tables.  My camera started to make noises....I just knew I was going to be at  it's mercy.

One might think this was staged, but Jean actually keeps her fabric on these mini bolts.  I love this idea because I'm so tired of sorting through bins and containers.  I want mine all nice and neat like this too.  I've actually added Fabric Organizers to the IHAN® website.  I'm definitely going to start the process....but that is a side point...sorry for digressing.

Jean has embroidered the name of child on this one.  Since it takes so much time to make a baby quilt, how about a baby mini quilt for the wall instead?  I love Jean's idea....so much faster to put together for a baby shower gift.  This design would be lovely as a wedding gift as well.

 

 As you can see, the heart theme doesn't have to be for Valentines day....this design can be used for almost any occasion.  This one in Christmas fabrics is fun. 

See, I told you my camera was noisy!  It has a mind of it's own, I'm telling ya.

"Expressions of the Heart" incorporates thread couching, free motion embroidery/ thread painting, applique, and free motion quilting.  

Before the class started, Jean showed us several examples of these techniques that she has used on several pieces she has made.  

Here is a close up.  The thread work just makes this quilt outstanding in my eyes.  And check out this hidden creature:

Jean made this quilt for one of our guild challenges and won "the quilt you would most like to have hanging in your home" category.   I know I'd love to see it hanging in my home for sure!

A few more samples were shared.  I know it seems like all we did was look at Jean's work, but we only spent a few minutes drooling on her quilts.

 

I know this post is getting long, but if you are like me....ya love the photos :)

OK, now the class begins!

Well, you would have been able to see Jean stitching except for the beam of light from her Bendable Bright Light.  Don't have one?  Well, this is the proof that you get tons of light! 

This is the color way Waldo and I choose.  I'd never worked in oranges before so I thought it might be fun.  I was surprised by how many pieces of orange batiks Waldo and I have.

This is my "Expressions of the Heart" piece.  I spent so much time playing with the decorative threads that I didn't end up couching any down.  I sure did have fun playing though :)

This is my practice piece.  I found the free motion embroidery to be lots of  fun.  Couching decorative threads can be very addicting....just warning you.  I spent quite a bit of time twisting a combination of threads together to preview them on my piece.  The stitching on the far right is nothing more than a thin slice of fabric I couched down.  I can see myself now....couching down anything that doesn't move!  LOL...true!

Smiles,

Kelly

Have YOU Voted?

 

Have you Voted for your favorite Golden Quilter nominees over at SewCalGal's Blog?   Voting ends February 28, 2013 so head on over and Vote!

 All I can say is:

Smiles,

Kelly

Reliable's New V200 Iron and Web Bond Adhesive Spray by Mettler @ VDTA/SDTA

Reliable Irons are my absolute favorite Irons and if you are a regular reader here at the IHAN® blog you already know that.  I've told you all about the Reliable V50, Reliable V100 and now....YES...the Reliable V200 Iron.

Jean had a chance to use the V200 and you know I was polite in waiting my turn :)

I really liked the grip on the Reliable V200.  The handle senses your  grip and it automatically starts steaming. The steam/water in the V200 is heated internally before it reaches the heated Anodized Aluminum soleplate so no matter what temperature you have the iron set for you still get steam.  

 

The sole plate was made to glade across a variety of different fabrics and the inner core is Magnesium to increase the strength and durability. 

I already have 3 Reliable Irons, 2 of the V50 (one upstairs for clothing and one downstairs for quilting and sewing)  and one of the V100 (I keep this one in my retreat bag)....I guess it's time I make room for a V200 in my iron collection!

The other thing I love about Reliable is Art Grabedian.  It was so good to see Art again and we had a few good laughs.  He is so tolerant of me....and my "market behavior."   I want my hard earned money going to great people and great products....guess that's why I buy Reliable Irons.

You can find my Reliable Iron Reviews  HERE and you'll find my nephews review HERE.  
For those of you who love free shipping, there is now free shipping from IHAN®  for the Reliable V50 and Reliable V200 Irons :)

Web Bond is temporary adhesive spray new from Mettler.  

I've used many spray adhesives over the years when I needed a quick way to sandwich a quilt or adhere an applique.  The part I hate about using spray adhesives is the smell and the over spray that gets on any surface in the near vicinity.  When I saw the Web Bond being demonstrated I was pleasantly surprised to notice there was no strong odor. 

There was not very much over spray with the Web Bond which I thought was a good thing. 

The spray sort of fluffs up....kind of like a light webbing....after is it sprayed.  There is a You Tube Video if you'd like to see it demonstrated....just click HERE.

There is still lots more to share from the VDTA/SDTA so stay tuned.

Smiles,
Kelly