Not quilting, but sewing! :) The other night I cut out a blouse, so that's first up. If I finish it I may go ahead and cut out a dress and top. I haven't done any garment sewing for a LONG time; decided it's time to sew up the last 4 pieces of garment fabric I have on hand then decide if I'm done with garments. I'm thinking of selling my serger if I decide I'm not into sewing clothes any more.

Donna

I stopped garment sewing when I started quilting, about 10-12 years ago. I have to hem all my pants though and use my serger to finish the edges.
Linda OH

I WILL finally finish the picnic quilt this weekend. Maybe tonight. We are joining friends Saturday night for an outdoor jazz fest at the local botanical gardens and I am committed to using this quilt. Maybe then I can call it "Fun & Done" instead of Not-so-fun-and-never-done.

That quilt is all the sewing I'll do, but I need to clean up the sewing room so we can open up the sleeper sofa in there for guests Wednesday evening. Yikes. It may be easier to get them a hotel room.

Kate

Nuk, Nuk..........I already have. I finished the hand stitching on the binding of my sun/moon/stars quilt and washed it yesterday. It was the last of my UFOs. I started back up on my blue/cream blocks this morning, when I went upstairs to make the bed. I'm just working on those when I feel like it, no pressure involved and doing two or three different block patterns in that material so I can alternate between them and not get bored. Tomorrow is my g'daughter's baby shower, but suspect I'll still find time to do a little sewing.

I had great plans for lots of sewing and doing things around the house this weekend and all next week since I'm taking the week off because the kids are on fall break. But that changed the other day when my brother's MIL passed. So this weekend we're headed to GA for the funeral. At least there is some time in the car where I can do some hand work :-) Then we planned some fun trips with the kids and a camping trip next weekend. I still want to finish my dd's quilt I started at the retreat and get her room painted! Maybe there is still time????

Robbi

Robbi, I'm sorry for your loss! Have a safe trip to GA and back.

Kate, is the jazz fest at Leu Gardens? I've been hearing ads about one in College Park next Saturday.

Linda, I pretty much stopped sewing garments, too. For some reason after I turned 40 or so nothing fit any more! LOL I've occasionally made a blouse or dress. The last of my garment stash includes the blouse I just cut out, a sleeveless dress with a shirt to go over it, a skirt and blouse, and another dress with sleeves. Then I think I'll decide to be done with clothes, give away the patterns and sell the serger. More room for quilty stuff! :)

Donna

Yes, Donna, it's at Leu Gardens. We've been several times in the past and always have a great time. The setting is so beautiful and with 3 or 4 bands playing around the gardens, there are good opportunities to find a nice place to settle in for the evening.

Robbi, Sorry to hear of your loss...do drive safely.
Did you daughter like what you have completed thus far on her quilt?

No garment sewing for me, it was fun when I was a pre-teen and teenager,but faded away once I became employed.

I hope to finish a quilted tote this weekend for a friend. I took it to the retreat, but never opened that particular project! I will make a matching pocket tee bag holder to accompany the tote...thanks Teresa!

V.

Valerie, yes! she loves the quilt and keeps bugging me to finish it :-)

I also used to sew my own clothes. It is so much cheaper to buy them now.

Kate, I wish I was closer. I would so enjoy the jazz concert. I'm the only one in my family that likes that style of music, so I only get to listen when I'm alone in the car. Enjoy!!

I'll be working on the rail fence... trying to get it finished. I've started to enjoy the quilting process a lot more, but I'm going to have to rip out a few lines of crooked stitches that I made when I was just starting and learning how to manage the quilt. Not looking forward to that part.

I have a clover chalk marking pen that uses a rotating wheel with teeth to deposit the chalk on to the fabric and I've found it useful for marking the quilt top... but it ripped some of the seams open and I'm thinking about just zig zagging them back closed and doing that in random places on the quilt so it looks like it was on purpose. The chalk marker is almost empty now, and I'm thinking about using flour or putting oatmeal in the coffee grinder or something cheap like that to refill it instead of buying a new one... I'm getting more frugal as I get older and I want to save my pennies for a Bernina...

Jasper, the cat tried to help... he kept looking at me like "if I could only reach the pedal!" I may teach him to use the stop start button! He seems to think I made the quilt just for him because he won't stay off of the silly thing!

I forgot a few things...

Robbi, sorry about your loss.... do have a safe trip.

Kate, enjoy the concert. Will they have rum and coke? :o) I hope you post a picture of the quilt when you get it done.

Donna, good luck with the garment sewing. Sewing a button on and hemming pants is about all the garment sewing I've ever done.... not brave enough to try anything else. Everyone says you need a serger, but I just can't think of a reason for someone who doesn't sew garments to have one... Did you ever post a picture of your valance? I missed it if you did!

Aww, Jasper is so cute! And of course you are making the quilt for him!

I posted a pic of the valance in last weekend's thread, but here it is again:

And a close up of the fabric:

I looked on the other thread and didn't see it, but it could be my computer just not displaying it. Donna, wow, that fabric is stunning! So playful and fun... and anything with cats and sewing machines is awesome. The second picture loaded before the first and for just a second, I thought that was your sewing room and the window on the fabric was the real window LOL You did a good job too... If I tried anything like that, it would be all lop sided :o) Did you follow a pattern or just wing it?

Donna, or Kate, do either of you know what is going on at the guild on October 23rd? The calender said something about Botique Sewing, so I wrote them about a week ago to see what that entailed... if it was just a lecture or if it was something that I needed to get supplies for and bring a machine and participate in. I haven't gotten a response, so I'll assume that who ever answers the e-mails is on vacation like they were the last 3 times I wrote and didn't get a response. I'll gladly pay two years worth of dues if the guild will just hire someone to respond to questions! I'm going to be off that night and I thought about attending, but I need to know more about what if anything to bring...

Jasper says thanks... he's just as sweet as he is fat, but not so cute when he runs through quilt pieces that aren't attached to each other yet :o) Sometimes, I just want to raise a rolled up newspaper to him, but then he looks at me with those eyes and I melt... hard to get mad at a face like that :o) He tried to sit my my lap while I was quilting the other day and that didn't go well....

Not sure I will get any sewing/quilting done this weekend. Tomorrow morning DH and I are going to an auction where they have over 20 sewing machines, old sewing related advertising signs etc, 3 miniature sewing machines and 2 thread cabinets. I am so excited! They also have Depression glass in the pattern that I collect. Sunday my sister and I are going to the Creativ Festival in Toronto. It is the 25th annual show so is bigger than normal.
Have a great weekend everyone and safe drive and my condolences Robbi.

Vac, the 23rd is our fun night...we are going to either make nametags for the quilt show or work on items for the boutique. I will mention the lack of email responses at the next board meeting!

They still have that fabric at JoAnn's if any of y'all decide you need some! LOL

I am so sorry for your loss, Robbi. I hope you do have a safe trip.

I will be clipping seams on 2 big rag quilts, that counts, right? Had to work all day yesterday, and DD and a friend will be here tomorrow evening. But there will be lots of time to get some work done.

beverly

Safe travels, Robbi.

I'm sewing but don't really feel inspired to work on any one thing. DH is at his bonsai meeting this morning, DD is in Orlando with her DH visiting with Meagan and going to the UCF game tonight and here I sit. It's cool enough that the sliding door is open....for now. Plan to make a couple of small quilts out of the 9-patch transitional pattern. Maybe I should have some breakfast first.

SharonG/FL

Thanks, Donna. That tells me everything I need to know. I better stay home! (Actually, I just remembered, I promised to go to a dinner show with some girls from work that night, we get the employee rate until Nov. 8th) I don't know if I will be able to attend the quilt show at all due to work and I certainly don't have the experience yet to make botique items... If someone had just told me that, I wouldn't have tried to RSVP for that silly meeting. Probably isn't the best time for a first visit. My initial impression of the guild is that they are cliquish and not very welcoming of new members or beginners, but I'm going to try to give them the benefit of the doubt.

I worked on the quilt last night and realized that the backing folded over and I sewed the backing to itself in about 7 places... I just laughed. I've learned by now that the most important lessons are the ones we teach ourselves when we are hovered over our machines at the midnight hour with a glass of sangria in one hand and a seam ripper in the other! :o)

Robbi, so sorry for your loss. Safe travels!
Kate, have a blast! We just had dinner with our friends we are traveling with to Orlando in Nov. and did some "planning" for the trip. I mentioned I wanted to do some quilt shopping, and our friend, Gary, asked if there would be any quilt shows in the area the first week of November! I told him I would check it out.

I had planned to go look at some featherweight machines today, but it is raining and cold, so I am staying in! I hope to finish quilting the second baby quilt top I made at camp. It's about half done.

I need to clean house but that seems to never end so I sometimes wonder why I bother!

Everyone enjoy!
Sue

Sue, check the Florida Quilt Network calendar...there are several around FL but none in Orlando at that time. If you postpone your visit till the beginning of Feb you can come to our show! :)

Donna

Sue, I hope you'll have time to check out the Suwannee Valley Quilt Shop in Trenton.

SharonG/FL

Here is a link that might be useful: Suwannee Valley Shoppes

Sue - if you'll be here the first week of November you could come to our guild meeting and say Hi! Ellen Linder will be the guest lecturer - her quilts are beautiful.

Vac - please come to the November guild meeting 11/5! I promise you'll find at least a couple people who are welcoming and eager to have you join in: me, Gwen, Donna and my buddy Marilyn! I'll save a seat for you.

Kate

Thanks, Kate. That looks like a day that I work, but things are slow at work now and I've got two weeks of vacation to use before February, so I may request a day off and just do that.

Btw, I did get an e-mail back today... after more than a week.... the woman said she was on vacation.... same story I got last time :o) Very nice response though, so I feel more encouraged now.

Yes, Vac, please join us at the guild meeting if you can! I agree it can be cliquish, but the current president is trying to get us to mingle with each other more. :) I'm glad you got a reply to your question. It's different dealing with an organization staffed by volunteers than with a company with paid employees!

My blouse is almost done...I have one sleeve to sew in and buttonholes and buttons. Of course, that means getting out the manual and remembering how to make buttonholes! I haven't done any in a long time. LOL I'm planning to finish is before lunch then get on to cutting out something else afterwards.

Donna