Quilting in Branson

Quirky Quilters,

As I began planning our next travel adventure, I thought of our last journey to Branson, Missouri in December.  While we were there, we got to see the fabulous Billy Dean.  He presented a wonderful show, full of Faith, Family, Friends & Fun.  His show left us feeling uplifted and joyous.  If you ever have a chance to see him and his band, you won't be disappointed.

Another fun adventure for me while there was the recently relocated Quilts & Quilts - The Fabric Shoppe.  It was a huge shop filled with every kind of fabric imaginable, batting, patterns, quilt decorative objects, and much more.  If you are in the area, it is definitely worth a visit.  I found some batiks there that coordinated with the quilt I was making for my husband for Christmas.  It was the perfect fabric to add a star border at the top and bottom, and a solid border down the sides.

Husband enjoying Christmas quilt 2016

3500 Gretna Rd.  next to The Shoppes at Branson Meadows

Quilts & Quilts, Branson, Missouri

Quilts & Quilts painted window

Branson Mills  is another fun place to visit.  It is full of every kind of hand-crafted items from local artists and provides tasty teas, coffees, cookies and ice creams as well.

The Shoppes at Branson Meadows is nearby as well.  They offer a variety of outlet stores and a movie theater as well.  I often find discounted clothes, shoes, kitchen equipment.  My husband finds tools and items "as seen on TV" there.

If you've seen everything you want to in Branson and still have that quilting fever, you  might want to drive a little north to Springfield.  There you will find Merrily We Quilt Along offering a variety of fabrics, kits, embroidery patterns, and long arm quilting supplies.

Quilt on!

just J

Quilt Labels Made Easy

Quirky Quilters,

I've been so busy sewing the last few days that I haven't taken the time to update this blog.  I finally got the labels made for two quilts I'm gifting to a couple of retired teacher friends.  I still have to hand sew them on, but I can do that when I'm watching tv with my husband.  I forgot to take pictures of the quilt fronts so I'll have to go back and do that later today and share in my next post.

Ruby Snow label

Dragonfly Delight label

I make these labels in the Word program on my computer using fonts I like and sometimes appropriate clip art.  I print them on Printed Treasures Sew-On Inkjet Printable Fabric  sheets by Prym Consumer.  If you go to the website and type in "Inkjet Fabric Sheets" it will give you a variety of options for how many sheets you want.  I usually print 4 labels to a sheet.

More later.  I've got to go quilt.

just J

Granddaughters are a Joy

Quirky Quilters,

We had a wonderful surprise yesterday when our two granddaughters stopped by with our daughter.  Meagan is a toddler while Rebekka is attending college.  I showed off my latest projects while waiting for Grandpa to come back with barbecue for a family dinner.  The girls and our son are my best fans.

Meagan was the first in the family to get a quilt, just the day after her birth.  The quilt started out as a Strip Club Project from Quilters Emporium.  The pattern was Picture Frames from Cozy Quilt Designs, designed by Daniela Stout.  I dutifully made all the blocks and put them on my design wall.  I hated it.  I kept rearranging them and staring at it from across the room.  I just couldn't fix it.  Three months later my friend came by and said "that is the ugliest quilt I've ever seen."  It was just too busy with the fabrics that came with it.  So I separated the two types of blocks, added sashing and borders and ended up with two beautiful baby quilts. 

Meagan's quilt

Back of Meagan's quilt

Meagan with big sister Rebekka

2nd quilt for Sydney, a friend's new baby

Sydney with her quilt

Stay tuned tomorrow for the story of Rebekka's quilt.

just J

Frustration was Unanimous

Went to my final Swirly Girl Michael Miller Clubhouse meeting yesterday.  There were about 8 of us there and none of us had our quilt completed thus far.  We all stopped at the same point:  when Michael Miller kept sending white polka dot on off white fabric rather than the white on white we had begun our quilts with.  I chose the red, white and blue Casino version of the quilt.  I love the pattern and especially the bonus projects.  But it has been frustrating for two years, with not getting the fabric on time or Michael Miller sending the wrong fabric (usually the white).  I bought the white barb wire fabric from this year's Quilt Across Texas and I plan on substituting that for the white on white polka dot fabric.  I hope to get it done in the next month or two, because I want to put it on my guest bed.

We had a good time anyway.  Bonnie auctioned off various items that we bought with our Clubhouse dollars.  I managed to get a "Relax" pillow and 2 sets of 5 inch squares.  We also each got a Swirly Girls Design pattern, Brickworks.  It's a fabulous pattern.  I haven't made it yet, but I plan to soon.  I have made their Perfect Ten quilt and it was a breeze to put together.  I used black and white layer cakes, with pops of bright solids for sashing and borders.

Perfect Ten ~ pattern by Swirly Girls Design

 

 

 

 I still need to add the borders which will be piano keys using up the remnants of the brights.

UFO Pajama Party

Saturday I attended the UFO Pajama party at Quilter's Emporium.  I stayed up until 2 the night before cutting my strips so I could work on the placemats I'm making for Christmas and birthday gifts.  I was lucky to quilt with two of my quilting friends who I hadn't seen since the last UFO party months ago.  I finished one set of 6 placemats and started two strips on six other Christmas placemats.  My two friends were working on a 6 month mystery quilt from Quilter's Emporium.  I sewed until midnight then drove to a nearby hotel for the night.  I always sleep good in that hotel.  Hubby and I hit the road for home around 8:00.

Sunday, I unloaded the shopping from the car, had a restroom break,  took my vitamins, then I was ready to speed off to my friend Ginni's house for our joint quilt project.  It's so much more fun sewing with a friend.  I'm a former Yankee autumn leaf expert and she is the Queen of Quilting Bling so we had some discussions about fabrics for the leaves.  We both think it will turn out beautiful anyway. This is my first time to use Thangles for 1/2 square triangles.  I think next time I will cut the strips just a little wider than the instructions call for to allow for possible sliding of the paper.

International Intrigue Mystery Quilt

I can't wait to have three days of school off for Thanksgiving.  I should be able to get a lot of quilting (or organize my sewing room) done.  Ginni and I will get together one day too while my husband is driving the band to the playoff game.  My class and I will be making posters for two of the players tomorrow.  Last week we wrote them cards of encouragement.

I did finish a mystery quilt this summer.  I did it in red, black and white batiks.  I can't wait to get it quilted, although I haven't decided what to do with it yet.

Bali Rail Fence

I finished my Bali Pops Rail Fence quilt from a class I took over Spring Break at the Cedar Chest quilt class.  I love how it turned out, so colorful!  Purples and blues and pinks and greens, oh my!  I used two sets of Bali Pops.  I had sixteen blocks left over so will make a table runner to practice my machine quilting skills on before I attempt the larger quilt.  My friend, Neta helped me arrange the blocks tonight during a break at Family Literacy. 

Sewin' Again

Well I finally got off the couch last week and started sewing again.  I decided to put the blocks together from one of last year's strip club projects.  I've had them on my design wall since Christmas.  Although I like the individual fabrics in the collection, together they are just too busy.  My friend, Ana, came over and agreed that they were just UGLY!  So we separated the blocks into 2 stacks and decided to make 2 different quilts.  I'm trying to tone them down a bit with sashing.  So far I have 3 out of 6 rows done for the first quilt.  Here are a couple of the blocks.