Table runners

 I've finished 2 table runners and they were a breeze to make.  The pattern is from Missouri Star Quilt Company called Friendship Chain.  The shorter one is for my sister.  She asked for a table runner with a sunflower theme and I found the perfect fabrics for it!  The other one is for my dining room table.

Do you have negative energy today?

Created by Natalie Pascoe

You know that like attracts like, right? Positive people are drawn to positive energy; negative people are drawn to negative energy. We tend to perceive negative energy as something other people have. Sure, sometimes we feel negative – as in, “go away and leave me alone, world!” but did you know that negativity can be so ingrained in you that it goes unnoticed? 

That’s because negativity sometimes wears a disguise called ‘reality’. It’s easy to rationalize that you’re ‘just being realistic’ in not daring to act on a dream – and believe it! You may assume that positive people are not being realistic – that they’re being naive, that they are in denial with their heads stuck in the sand, that they put on fake smiles in the face of difficulty and so forth. But are they really happy fools or is there something to their positive attitude?

Consider this: since when does ‘being realistic’ necessarily mean that things will go wrong and that you have to accept that as the truth? That doesn't mean that being realistic is automatically negative. When you view the world from a ‘realistic’ standpoint, you can’t help but be negative.

"IF" your version of reality is negative, you are conditioned to believe that whatever can go wrong, will go wrong and whatever can go right, will probably go wrong too. Your unconsciously held beliefs make you into a negative person without your being aware of it!
So – if this negativity is so ingrained in you that you don’t notice it, how do you determine whether you’re stuck in a cloud of negative energy that is attracting the wrong people, wrong situations and wrong feelings? And how can you be sure you’re not perpetuating that negativity?

Van Gogh

This is a baby quilt I longarmed this afternoon, it's a top made by a customer. I used a design that reminds me of the curves in Van Gogh's Starry Night.

Back to work after a long delay

 My longarm machine is finally back from being serviced, being gone 6 weeks!  Far too long, I'll take it somewhere else next time.  In the meantime I spent time working on UFOs.  Here's one... the Sugar & Spice quilt from Studio 180 Design. The fabric collection I used is called Promenade by Moda Fabrics.

I feels so good to be back to work!  Here's the quilt on my frame this afternoon.  It's the second of 4 QOV quilts I need to finish this week.  2 are for the National Foundation and 2 are for the local QOV group.

Update 3/24/2024:  I have made the star blocks and laid out the pieces for the center 

of the Sugar & Spice quilt.  I still have 2 borders to add, then I can assembled the quilt top!

It’s tonight

 

Dritz Petite Press Mini Iron

I bought this little iron about 18 yrs ago and it's been a wonderful item to have next to my sewing machine. I use it when I'm piecing quilt blocks and it has had a tremendous amount of work over the years. I have a tiny pressing board next to it and it is so easy to iron seams, I don't have to get up and down, up and down, going to my big ironing board.

It has 4 heat settings on it for different weights of fabric, but since I use quilting cotton I always have it set to the high setting. The iron covers 2-1/2", which is perfect for ironing a jelly roll seam, or 2 halves of a charm square seam. It has a little beep when the iron is ready plus the red flashing light turns solid. There is an attached stand that keeps it from touching the table, it can be adjusted as well. The angle of the heating iron can be adjusted as well, very handy! I had the Clover mini-iron at one time but I bought this one because the iron is about twice the size, and is much better, in my opinion.

Mine has had much use! It had a white cushion where you can place your finger while pressing but mine disintegrated a few years ago! It's the only reason I'm thinking of retiring this one!

I bought a 2nd one 2 years ago but haven't opened the package yet because this one just keeps on working! 

Honey Buttermilk Bread

For the bread makers on my subscription list! I've made this twice, it's delicious!

Make a great tote bag

I found a free tote bag pattern and thought I'd mention it so you could download the pattern. You have to log into the website in order to download the pattern.  The pattern is found here, on the ByAnnie website.  

 The pattern uses 3 fat quarters.  There are videos to help as you sew each step.  The pattern calls for a stable interfacing to help stiffen the fabric.  I bought sew in Pellon Thermalam from JoAnn and it works well. One of the fat quarters is used to make bias tape to cover the raw edges on the inside.

The first step has you quilting the outer fabric, Thermalam and the lining fabric together.  I used 505 temporary spray adhesive to hold my pieces together.  I used a walking foot to do the sewing and the quilted fabric turned out perfect.



The pattern was very easy to follow, I hope you'll try making one!  I needed something to carry my sewing supplies when I travel with my machine.










I had so much fun making the first one I made a second one, and I fussy cut the fabrics for that one.