Virginia and George Siciliano visit the Toledo Gathering of Quilters

It's not just the Flamingos who have been crazy busy....I have been too.  I can't believe I'm just getting to share the pix I took last Thursday night at one of my guild meetings.  Virginia and George Siciliano came and gave a wonderful lecture and then George had a class at Quilt Heaven the following day.  I could not find anyone to get the co-workers off the bus ....sadly I was not able to make the class.  I was told it was a great class....next time.

Thursday night was EXCELLENT!  I had such a good time and I'm only a little embarrassed to say I thought it was an "interactive lecture"...as I interjected probably a few times too many.  Honestly...I was so blown away by George and Virginia's work that I just could not help myself.

George started by telling us that he and Virginia had gotten into an argument in the car prior to arriving at the meeting.

Then, Virginia appears with a very large pair of scissors in her head...YIKES.  The smile on her face gives it all away, don't you think?  

George and Virginia have been married for 47 years and I'm thinking one of their great strengths as a couple, would be a wonderful sense of humor.  Without one, who could stay married to this guy 47 years?  (I say that with great humor and I'll elaborate more later in this post)

Ladies First :)

"In The Gloaming"  by Virginia Siciliano

Virginia has hand quilted this amazing beauty.   I tried to take a few close up photos so you could see the beautiful hand quilting...it is absolutely lovely.

 

 The border of this quilt is stunning as well.  That is a pieced border....isn't it amazing?  I just love the colors Virginia chose, the purple-ish and gold-ish thinner borders...the quilt really just pops because of the colors she chose. 

 Who could resist a photo of Virginia posing with Waldo in front of that beautiful quilt?  Not me :)

This was the first time I have had the pleasure of  attending a lecture by George and Virginia.  George does most of the talking....it is a very good thing this man has a great sense of humor....I would have hated to hear a dry or smug mind blowing quilter.

If you are wondering what I mean....check this out....below is George's first quilt....

Below is George's second quilt....

Are you ready to smack the guy yet?  What the heck....first and second quilts looking like this?  REALLY??? (calm down...y'all know I'm a peaceful person at heart...I just could not believe my eyes)

Quilt number 3.....

Oh and by the way...quilt number three was made from just two blocks...the two he is showing you here in the picture.  "Can you see the two blocks" he asks.  I was thinking..."HE double hockey sticks NO I can't see them....I can't even being to take in this quilt much less see it was made from two blocks"  My mouth was hanging open...I'm sure I looked like a real fool....I was just blown away.

George's talent was discovered because Virginia threw his "one" magazine away in the bathroom.  He was left with a hundred quilting magazines.  I cracked up when George told the story...she thought his magazine was and old issue so she tossed it.  Funny how our quilting magazines can be from the 80's and we hand on to them....but a guys magazine...older than a few weeks....must be trash...LOL.  

A Log Cabin Pineapple Variation. 15 1/2 x 21 inches with 2,842 pieces. 
George was offered $10 for this one and the lady that offered it wanted 5 more for place mats!!

Can you imagine...a place mat?  Really?  I would have only agreed to that price if the person allowed me to run them over with my car afterwards!!!  What was this woman thinking?  2842 pieces of fabric all amazingly placed....a masterpiece for sure....and she wants to eat on it....LOUD GASP

Well...if the someone is crazy enough to want it for a place mat...think how nice this one would look on the back of my toilet tank. ROFL

Paper piecing is definitely on my list of must learn.  I bought George's Seam Allowance Guide and Foundation Stuff....I figured this man knows what he is doing and I know I could learn a lot from him.

If Virginia had not thrown away George's magazine...all this amazing work and creativity may not have come to be....I'm so glad Virginia tossed that magazine in the trash :)

I did not fill in all the details of George and Virginia's lecture....I wouldn't want to spoil it for those of you have not had the wonderful pleasure of hearing them speak.  You can visit their website and learn more about both of them by clicking HERE.

All I can say is THANK YOU to George and Virginia for not tossing out the strange gal in the audience....I had an absolute wonderful time.

Smiles,
Kelly

UPDATED NEWS: Blow Out Sale

UPDATE: The IHAN website did not update with newly added items and many products did not have the sale price listed.  It has all been corrected....or should I say I sure hope the prices are now correct.  

Some products ordered did not include the price....I have e-mailed those people who's orders were affected.  If you have any questions, please e-mail me at IHaveANotion@yahoo.com.  

New items added daily...so check back often.

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE GREAT DEALS....MANY 50% OFF AND SOME UP TO 70% OFF!

Oh yeah...and this is what the flamingos are up to today.

Smiles,
Kelly

IHAN Blow Out Sale - Excellent Deals!

It is not just a rumor...it's true.  Click here to see all the amazing deals.  Limited quantities available and items will be removed from the website once sold out....shop now :)

Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions.  IHaveANotion@Yahoo dot com

Smiles,
Kelly

Running Horses

I've heard it said, "if you can't see it on a running horse, than it's good enough."  Well, in this case the horse would need to be upside down!  LOL

Saturday is the Cub Scout Cross Over for my co-workers. I have to up-date the banner by Saturday and you can clearly see, I've been in a hurry.

Here is a close up....yep...I put the Wolf emblem on the fabric with the words up-side down.  Do you think I noticed that before I stitched it all down?  You are absolutely correct!  I did not notice until everything was stitched down.  After removing the stitches around each square, I then noticed I had stitched all around the wolves head too.  Oh joy in the morning! 

Start over?  No way....I just cut that part right out and flipped it around.  Now I'll stitch the Wolf emblem back on and no one will be the wiser (except for all of you :).

You can see I had a lot of little threads all over the place where I had pulled out the stitches.  My lint roller is downstairs and I needed to be upstairs watching for the school bus.  Scotch tape dispenser was empty....darn.  Then I noticed all those holiday address labels that everyone and their brother sends to us.  Mr. McSteamy hates them, but I can't stand to see them go in the trash....soooooo.....I used the adhesive side to take off all the threads.  Hurray!!!  Another re-purposing of things that just sit around :)

Sometimes ya just have to make lemonade :)

Smiles,
Kelly

Flamingos,Flat Stanly's Travels and A Quilting Blogger Hook Up and

Flamingo Update:

The Flamingos are now playing soccer....

...and I've also seen them riding their bikes too.

You just never know what those Flamingos will be up to next!

Update on Zachary's Flat Stanly Travels:

You won't believe how busy Flat Stanly has been.  I know I was shocked myself and very surprised how long it took me to organize Flat Stanly's photos with the narration of his travels.

You are looking at 33 12X12 pages of Flat Stanly's Travels up until May 14, 2012.  I've since received many more trip narratives and photos that have yet to be added to his album.  Stanly has been to Philadelphia PA, Washington DC, Toronto, Nevada, Smithville Ontario, Arab Alabama,
Hover Dam and Bridge, Budapest, Copenhagen Denmark, Council Bluffs Iowa, Schenectady New York
Leominster MA,Columbia South Carolina, Yamhill County Oregon AND that doesn't include all the recent pix I have received.  I am totally shocked and blown away by everyone's kindness in taking Flat Stanly with them on their travels.  I THANK YOU and Zachary also Thanks you :)








A quilting blogger hook up :)

Pam is a blogger from North Carolina and she was in the area last week.  We made plans to meet up and had lunch together.  Oh it was a ball.  I was tickled that we got to meet.  She had received this beautiful quilt from her mother-in-law so she brought it to show me. 

(After writing this post it dawned on me that the term "hook up" is slang and it can mean several things.  I couldn't come up with another catchy phrase that means meeting up with a blogging friend so I'm keeping this term until I can invent another one :)

Smiles,
Kelly

Sometimes Ya Just Need A Little "Quiltspiration"

Yep...it's true...sometimes we all just need a little "Quiltspiration."   Many of you may know Ebony Love from Love Bug Studios.   Ebony has invented "Quiltspirations" a card game for quilters and I am fortunate enough to have received a deck to review. 

 I've had time to look through each one of them and I have to say Ebony has a good sense of humor. 

The deck has seven categories (shown by different colored cards above) that include: Colors, Shapes, Styles, Embellishments, Borders, Layouts and Whimsy. 

Here is an example of one of the cards.  "You put a Hex on me" got a good laugh out of me.  She is so right....if you make one hexagon...you'll want to make 4...when you make 4....your want to make 10 and so on.  They are very addicting...don't ask me how I know!

I found the Quiltspirations cards to be fun.    It is not a traditional card game like poker or spades. I think of Quiltspirations as more of a energetic and fun way to start a project.  You can play alone or with others at a retreat or gathering.  The deck comes with a copy of printed rules....but I think Ebony already knows that many quilters don't follow the rules and she has made provisions for "those folks!"

I don't want to ruin the fun by telling you what is on every card....but I can't help but share a few more with you (Ebony...please forgive me...I can't help myself).

I sure hope you can read these cards.  They just crack me up!  The last card says that if you complete the task and send a photo to them...they will eat a piece of celery for each photo sent.  That is just way tooooo good.  If I had invented them....I would have promised to eat a chocolate chip cookie or an entire bowl of ice cream.  I'm soooo bad and Ebony will be much healthier as a result of her choice :)

Ebony has definitely had fun making these cards and I've had a ball just looking at them...playing with them will be even more fun.  I think they are a must have for all retreats and certainly would make a fun gift for quilting friends.  THANK YOU Ebony for my set of Quiltspiration Cards...I just love them.

Speaking of being inspired....below are some pictures of a bowl my friend Diane made recently.

Waldo and I got together with a group of friends and made fabric bowls.  After the "Bling Your Thing" challenge, Diane had the great idea of adding beads to her bowls.  Sometimes all it takes is a little challenge to get your mind moving in a whole new direction.  Beautiful bowl Diane!  Thanks for letting me share it with the rest of my friends.

Smiles,
Kelly

Happy Mother's Day

IHAN wishes each and every one a Happy Mother's Day! 

My definition of Mother is very broad....I include all people who have nurtured a child, another person, an animal, mother nature or have given birth to some great ideas....everyone gets included.

Smiles,
Kelly

Wedding Pix

Isn't the bride beautiful!

More Celebrating

Can you believe we've been celebrating all week here at IHAN?  My sister's birthday, followed by our youngest daughter and son's birthdays, today a wedding and tomorrow Mother's Day.  I can hardly keep up with what card goes to which person.

 Maddy and Zach share a May 11th Birthday

 In true IHAN style...we have "get up" for our special events...lol

 Some of us are unique in how we wear our "get up."

Remember Po-Go Sticks?  I had not seen one in years and Zach recieved one for his birthday.  Day one, he managed 6 non-stop hops.  Day two, over 50 and his record to date is 210...he is one hoppin fella.

You know I would not leave you without something quilt related....here is a photo of Waldo's Kaffe Fassett quilt.

You know I'm in love with this quilt.  I'll make one....just as soon as I get the binding on the surprise quilt I made.  I'll shop pix of that one early this coming week.

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!!

Smiles,
Kelly

Beaver Valley Piecemakers Quilt Show- PA

 

 

A very nice lady has asked me to announce the Beaver Valley Piecemakers is having their 18th Annual quilt Show on OCT. 12, 13, and 14th.   They are located north of Pittsburgh, PA.  The judge is a National Quilt Association judge and here is the link to all the show's information. http://www.bvpiecemakers.com/page04.html

 

Are you wondering why I'm telling you all so early?  Because I know that if even one of you are like me....your appointment book gets full quick :)

Smiles,
Kelly

Good Enough vs Perfection....do you struggle too?

I'm so glad I'm not alone!  Something just told me I'd be in very good company with my struggle to integrate these polarities.

Warning: Photo Heavy Post!  You know if I have not blogged in a few days that I have all these blogs posts and photos all stored up in my mind..  I was thinking about sticking a USB into my ear to see if I could just download my blog posts directly from my brain to the computer...that would be PERFECT!  (If anyone dares to e-mail me and tell me this technology is already available....I will flip out!)

I changed the layout of this quilt a bit...here is the new layout.  The Union Jack strip on the right is actually three separate pieces I cut from the bottom of the panel.   Joining the three pieces became a real challenge....how to get those darn things to join up was no easy feat....at least not for me.

 

Here are the two places that I joined them ....mind you...I put these together no less than three or four times. I used pins to line them up and I even went as far as to use double sided tape.  Look how badly they lined up.


What do you do in these circumstances?  Whens something isn't quite working out the way you want it to and you've sewn and unsewn over and over again?  I tried a glass of wine....nope...didn't work.  Then....I did what any reasonable person would do....I called Waldo and asked her if she would come to the rescue....


 

 Waldo to the rescue :)

 She suggested we hand sew/applique the pieces in place....WHY didn't I think of that?  Look  how nicely it came out.  I did ask her to do the first one...and then I did the second seam...I was feeling like a weenie.  See what the struggle for perfection can reduce an otherwise resourceful person to?  I'm sticking with "Good Enough" and to H E double hockey sticks with Perfection!!! (you may need to remind me of this from time to time...and I'll be kind and do the same for you :)

Now the "Perfection Thing" has passed (laughing under my breath) ...I went on to do some machine embroidery.  The embroidery machine I had been using was borrowed and I had to return it yesterday....soooooo...you know what that means....get it all done quick.

 This is a Floriani Design and all of these are using Floriani Threads.   Ain't she purdy?

Another purdy one :)

The next one....well......lets just say that the universe was checking to see how well I have learned my lesson about perfection.

The top thread must have got caught in the bobbin...or some such thing...and I had to remove the design from the machine.   When I put it back in....look what happened.  The red area on the hummingbirds chest....that is supposed to be up on the flower and the big blue dot on the birds head....that was supposed to be in the center of the flower.  I am pleased to report that I will applique some fabric over this baby and make it work.  Anyone says anything...ever....I'll just say that's how it was supposed to be!  Ahhhh...I'm feeling the freedom :)

I told you there would be a lot....what can I say....I have not posted to my blog in 4 days!!!

Look what I got in the mail on Monday:

 A travel holder for my curling iron....isn't it beautiful?

My girlfriend, Jean, had made one and posted about  it here.  She offered to make me one so of course I said...oh yeah baby! :)  Look how beautiful she embellished it.  The button and flower really takes this curling iron cover from a utilitarian item and transforms it into a zippy piece of traveling art.

If you are still reading....I'm almost shocked!!!

Last evening I had to run to my friend Diane's house for a favor.  She had a belated birthday gift for me.  I was so surprised.  Look what she has made for me:

A snap purse made from Marcia Derse fabrics.  I had goose bumps and lots of them too.

 

Now I have two "Derse Purse's"....I think we should start calling them Derse Pursey's ...no...sounds dumb doesn't it?  That happens sometimes.  

 But wait...there was more....can you believe this?

 The first one says, Rise and Whine and the second one says, Put on your big girl panties on and deal with it.  Too funny...I just love them.

Lots of presents....what a way to start the week ay?  I am one very lucky lady :)

As I was leaving Diane's house I saw this on the table....I couldn't help myself....had to take a pix of it to share with all of you:

Hope it leaves you giggling too.

Smiles,
Kelly

Latest Project

I am on a roll here....this is my third quilt in 2 weeks...oh please...hold your applause :)

These fabrics have been waiting for the right "energy" (meaning I need deadlines to get my butt movin').  Here are some of the lay out ideas I've played with:

I'll be using white between the blocks and perhaps add some red or blue too...have not decided.  Which one do you like the best?

Smiles,
Kelly