Pickens, South Carolina . . . . .

This weekend I am vending in Pickens, a cute little hamlet in the upstate of South Carolina nestled between the mountains and the Piedmont.  Okay, so I'm going a little overboard with the writing.  But Pickens is a cute little town.  The show is Friday (9:00 - 6:00) and Saturday (9:00 - 5:00) and is located at Pickens View Wesleyan Church - 744 Bethlehem Ridge Road.  Google Maps picks it up just fine, thank you very much.  Beautiful church and beautiful quilts.

In the meantime, I am sitting in the hotel and going to give a shot at needleturn applique.  Yes, I know, I am supposed to be touting the hand-dyed wools and telling everyone how much easier wool is because you don't have to turn under the edges (by the way, it IS easier to applique with wool because you don't have to turn under the edges).  I wanted to do something a little different and keep what little cotton applique skills I had from totally disintegrating.

I have picked this pattern from Jan Patek.  Jan offered it on her blog on September 11th just for the one day.  I've had the background pieced and the applique pieces prepped since then waiting for the right time to start.  (Can you tell I'm too chicken to start?!)  I'm using the "freezer paper on top" method this time to see if I like it any better than I did the first time I tried it.

Wow, three paragraphs and no pictures.  Will keep you posted.  If it doesn't work out, we may have to switch to wool!

Blessings, Cathi

Just couldn't decide .....

Which blog to put this on so I put it on both! 

I was so excited to check out Ivonne's blog tonight and find this . . . . . .

She does such fabulous work . . . . . worth posting on two blogs!!

Blessings, Cathi

Wool quilts everywhere . . . . .

Seems every quilt show I have gone to lately there are more and more wool applique quilts.  I know those of you in the Mid-west and the Northeast probably don't think that is a big deal but down here in the South, that is amazing!  I LOVE it! To have even one in a show even tickles me to no end.

Here are pictures of all the quilts in the show that had wool in them.  Sorry if some are blurry.  I really can't tell on this little netbook screen if they are good pics or not.  But it could be BC (before coffee) this morning.

Lisa B's Primitive Garden won first in category.

There were two of this quilt but only took a picture of one of them.

Talk about a fun entry!  Not all wool but some of it!

Gordy's Gang

No pattern for this one!

And details of the Best of Show quilt.

How fun are these!  These were made from a Crabapple Hill pattern that was supposed to be a hat on a pillow.  They makers decided to go 3-D and make it into a hat! Correction:  This pattern is for a 3-D hat originally, not a pillow.

And finally a picture near the entrance to the Center.  I wish I had time to take a little hike down this nature trail.

Blessings, Cathi

Best of Show . . . . .

Thought I would take a minute while I can and show you the Best of Show quilt.  I took the picture last night after I finished setting up the booth.

Isn't it gorgeous!?  I'll try to take some closeup shots of the fabulous detail of it later when the show slows down.  But hopefully it won't!!


Blessings, Cathi

North Augusta, South Carolina . . . . .

I'm leaving in just a few hours for the second show this month.  I have never been to N. Augusta but heard it is beautiful.

The show is being held at the Riverview Park Activities Center which is located . . . . wait for it . . . . on the river!  Just beyond the river is Augusta National.  Yes, that Augusta National.  

Dear Hubby and TurfBoy at 2011 Masters

The show is being held by the Pieceful Hearts Quilt Guild and runs Friday from 10 until 7 and Saturday from 9 until 4.  I've heard there are about 200 quilts.  They are being judged by Susan Edmonson of Susan Edmonson Designs and a friend of mine for many years.

Come on down!

Blessings, Cathi

Confession time . . . . .

I don't like how fast cameras go through batteries!  At least mine . . . . .  I remembered my camera yesterday.  Took a few pictures of the booth and then it died.  So no quilt pictures.

I have to take pictures of every booth set up because it seems each show, the setup is a little different because of the booth size.  Some booths are only 8' deep instead of 10' which means I can only put an 8' table along the side instead of my two 5' tables.  I know it sounds confusing but every time I go to a show I feel like I'm re-inventing the wheel with my setup.  So if I take picture of every show, eventually two of them will be the same and I can just look at the picture instead of thinking so much!  LOL

Here is this past weekend's booth.

And here is a picture of my very first booth setup just a year ago in August.

Big difference from one 8' table, huh?  I've come a long way, baby!

Yesterday's booth was a booth and a half or 10' deep by 15'.  Usually a booth is 10' x 10' but I now have to have 2 booths (a double booth) because of all the wool I carry.

Also no pictures of the quilts because I never got to see any or walk the show.  Yes, I was that busy!  I heard they were beautiful.  Dear Hubby came up to help me pack up but not until about 4:30.  Just not enough time to look at quilts or shop the other vendors.  I would love to see what else is out there that I don't have.  I did run over to one vendor to buy the Lil' Twister ruler but she had sold out.  That will teach me!  I'll see her again at another show soon, I hope.

Blessings, Cathi

Wanna guess where I've been . . . . .

Thought I was hanging around the house and NOT quilting, huh?  That's why I'm not showing any quilting projects, huh?

Nah, I'm in Cabarrus County, North Carolina at a quilt show.  The weather here in the Carolinas is just perfect.  Dry weather, high of 76°, bright sunshine and the customers are still coming inside to see the quilts and shop in droves.  Friday was a wonderfully successful day.  I was so busy, I didn't get to see the quilts.  The few I did see as I ran from the booth to the bathroom have been gorgeous.  By the time this post is posted, I should be about finished packing up the van with Dear Hubby's help.

I forgot to take the camera on Thursday while I was setting up the booth.  And then forgot again on Friday when I went to the show.  Hopefully I remembered this morning and I can show you some goodies this evening or tomorrow.

I'm leaving you with a picture of my Christmas quilt that still needs a border and Nelson, the quilt model.  Hope you all have had a nice day of quilting.  Remember, there are only 

78 days left until Christmas.

I'm just saying . . . . . . . . . . .

Blessings, Cathi

Game time . . . . .

Here is a little word search for you to play.  Test your brain and rest your eyes from your long day of quilting!

Click on the puzzle to enlarge and print it out.  When you are finished, email me at quiltmarket@comporium.net and tell me that you are finished.  Sometime this week, one of Santa's elves will deliver a special gift to your email mailbox!

Blessings, Cathi

Christmas past . . . . .

I use the same avatar 

for all of my techie programs and forums that I belong to.  

I thought I would show you the big picture now.

See?!  It's actually a Christmas picture from 1960.  I'm guessing the year.  My birthday is in January and I look about 2 years old here - maybe 3 - definitely cute!  Remember all the tinsel?!  This is when I was still an only child.

Then others came along and I had to share . . . . . 

1963

And then more . . . . .

1969

Yup, that's me on the end with the fishnet stockings.  My first sewing craft project?  Those cute little stockings hanging on the mantel.  I should have been diagnosed as a fabriholic at this age!  Mom sewed the stockings from felt.  I cut out the green appliques from felt and glued them on but still . . . . . a budding applique-er in the making.

Do you remember when you were bit by the sewing/crafty bug?

Blessings, Cathi

Special Christmas sewing . . . . .

All of the directions you need to finish your Scatty Christmas Quilt is already in your hands.  This would be the part in the directions that would read "quilt as desired".  As far as I can tell, the only ones that write those words are those that are very good at quilting.  I am not.  I think that is the hardest part.  Not the actual quilting but deciding how to quilt it.  So I guess my real answer would be that my desire would be for someone else to quilt it!!  Like I said in one of my very first posts three years ago - I am a top maker, not a quilt maker!  I'm sure you will find a great way to finish your quilt.

So now to the post title.  One of the most special sewing projects I have done are the 4 stockings I made for my children in 1987.

This is the second set of stockings I made.  My oldest (the Married One) was in 3rd grade at the time.  She wanted to take her stocking in to show her teacher for show and tell.  She must have been very proud of her mommy!  The teacher fell in LOVE with the stockings, sent a note home with the Married One asking if she could buy them.  She paid $30 a piece for them!  Big money back in 1987.  So I made a second set that the kids have used every year since.  I hang all of them but Santa doesn't fill the Married One's stocking anymore.  The other three get the same thing every year in theirs - a box of Cracker Jacks, a Christmas Pez candy dispenser, socks, lots of gum, candy and sometimes something special (depending on how much money Santa has that year).

What special sewing item that you made for Christmas do you still put out every year?

Blessings, Cathi

Welcome to the 2nd to last CQAL of 2011

It's the second Saturday in October and that means after today, there is only one more Christmas Quilt Along of 2011!  As for me, I have had a wonderful time visiting with you since February.

You might remember that about a month ago Sue and I asked you all to fill in a survey about the Christmas QAL and the future. Thanks to all of you who filled it in. Thanks too for the lovely comments and compliments you included. As a result of the survey we have decided that we will be running it between February and November again, on the second Saturday of each month just as we have done this year, but there are some important changes.  

One of the questions we asked was if anyone would be prepared to act as a guest host for one of the days, and about 12 of you were foolish brave enough to put your hands up. So, now, we need to know who you were. If you would like to host one day, please email Sue at sue.abrey@gmail.com with your preferred month. The other difference is that instead of offering a block of the month pattern, next year we will be doing a mystery quilt instead. As this year, it will be free, but we will post the instructions on our blog instead of sending them by email. That way, if you can’t join us one month, the instructions will still be available.

I'll be back later this morning with more news and updates.  Off to breakfast now (and half of you are fixing lunch or starting your afternoon nap!).

Blessings, Cathi

Composition cover-up . . . . .

I just love composition books.  It reminds me of elementary school.  But it really hurts my eyes to look at the cover so I started covering them up.

I started with something simple like this . . . . this is the book that I write all my dye pots in.  I write a lot of my mistakes in here, too!

And I have a book for my business . . . .  thoughts, things I need to do, things I want to do . . . . .

I decided I would like to teach this as a class at the Pieceable Retreat at the end of October so I created this one for the class sample back in March.

It turned out cute.  I even put some pockets on the inside cover.  I had read about every pattern out there for journal covers but there wasn't one individual pattern that I liked.  So I decided to make my own.  I didn't like how this one went together.  The pocket section inside is VERY bulky and I really didn't like the topstitching around the outside edge.

So one last try and I came up with this . . . . . .

The pocket section is much less bulky and I was able to write the directions as I went. There are 4 pockets on the inside for business cards, pencils, receipts, papers, etc.

And I included a page marker just 'cause it's easier.

It still needs a little tweaking before the class starts in 2 weeks but I am finally happy with how it turned out.  After all the renditions . . . . FINALLY.


Blessings, Cathi