Personal Projects Revealed

Now that the holiday season is about over I can reveal the rest of the personal projects that I have been working on.


The first project was four pairs of pajama pants. Two pair for my daughter and two pair for my son. Her's were soooooo much easier to assemble (no fly required). I use a basic McCalls pattern #4320; then enhanced the pattern to create a fly closure for the two pair for my son.











Next was the Nouveau Hobo Bag by Indygo Junction. My friend, Cheryl made this bag all out of batiks. It is quite eye-catching. She made the larger version as did I. It holds alot! The bag is almost 17" deep. I choose to quilt the bag fabric and the handle strap. The bag is fully lined. I again made changes to the designer's pattern by adding additional large sewn-in pockets on both the front and back of the lining pieces; and made a continous shoulder strap. The original pattern calls for a button closure strap. I felt that the way in which my daughter would be using the bag a solid shoulder strap was more practical.

My daughter is traveling this winter break and is in need of some hostess gifts. I know just the ticket - those great Fat Sacks from Terry Atkinson's November 7th blog posting. (My fellow blogger Jackie alerted me to this blog and pattern.) Like Terry, I made them out of Amy Butler's decorator fabric. I am amazed at how much they hold!


I still have a few pillowcases to make for Jackie. She and her guild committed to 300 pillowcases for a local Connecticut charity, Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang. I decided to help her out and offered to make a few for her. (See Jackie's December 13th posting.)

I want to wish all of you a warm and joyous holiday season with good health and many quilts in the coming year. Kathy

Tuesday Night Quilters' Holiday Bash

Here are a couple more of my personal quilting and sewing projects that I have been working on for the holiday season.

There is a group of now ten fun loving quilters that get together each month to socialize, eat, do show and tell, maybe work on a project - you know anything that is remotely related to quilting.


Tuesday evening, Cindy was gracious enough to open her home to us for a Holiday Get Together. Her house was decorated to the ninths. Sorry, I didn't bring the camera. :( But I did take her a travel size bottle of Mary Ellen's Best Press with a cute little cover that I made as a hostess thank you gift. Cindy just loves 30's reproduction prints. I got the pattern from Terry Atkinson Designs' blog. Click here and look at Terry's November 14th entry and you'll find directions for all the different size bottles of the Best Press products. Terry's blog was recommended by a fellow blogger, Jackie of Canton Village Quilt Works in Connecticut. Click here to check out Jackie's blog.

We had plenty of food to eat. Anything from subs, to cookies, to brie, to veggies with dip, hollowed out bread with dip and it would not have been complete if we didn't have a little chocolate too. Well, okay maybe alot of chocolate. There was drink to be had by all as well.

We played a gift passing game, that Karen came up with. Each person brought a wrapped gift. We each drew a number from one to ten. There were ten of us. Person number one chooses a gift, unwraps it, and everyone ooooooossss and haaaaaaas. Then person number two can either take the gift that number one has, or chooses another wrapped gift and unwraps it. If person two takes person one's gift, then person one chooses a new wrapped gift. Person three and all others get to either take a wrapped gift or steel someone else's gift. When the last person goes they get to either take the last wrapped gift - then the game is over; or more exciting is for the last person to steel someone else's gift. At that point in time you have one minute to continue to steel gifts; or if someone chooses the wrapped gift, the game ends. At the end of one minute whatever you have in your possession is yours to keep. If you have no gift you receive the last wrapped gift.

The gift box that I took was wrapped in brown paper with a green paper ribbon. Inside the box was a copy of WRBQ (We'd Rather Be Quilting) Northeast book. The book has cross reference travel maps of the northeast states; pages of alphabetically listed quilt shops by state; listings of professional quilters (That's where True Creations is located in the book.); a full color section of quilting related businesses all across the country just for quilters and another section devoted to events that list shows and shop hops in each region by date.

The other little something that was in the brown paper wrapping was a Tuckaway Tote. You see the tote is the perfect companion for the WRBQ book. The tote folds into its own outside pocket. The tote can then easily be stored in your purse or in your car ready to accept all those wonderful new treasures that you'll find when you visit the quilt shops or quilt shows that are listed in the book. Pattie was the lucky holder at the last five seconds!

I received the most wonderful smelling and beautiful Christmas center piece that Donna made. I think I will keep the tray that she made it in, so that next year I can ask her to make me another one.

A great time was had by all at our Holiday Bash. We'll meet again in January for dinner and show and share.

Kathy

Here's a Glimpse

Some of you have been inquiring about what I am working on other than customer's quilts.

I just completed two Christmas Stockings (all done on the longarm) to give to a local quilt shop. (Patricias' Fabric House, East Rochester, NY) The quilt shop is collecting pillowcases, stockings and personal hygiene products for a local charity.

Now, off to the quilt shop I go to deliver the stockings.

Christmas Rush Almost Finished

I've been very busy working on customer's quilts. By the end of the week all of the quilts that my clients want to give as gifts this season will be finished and back in their hands; so they can put any finishing touches on.

I would like to welcome any customer's from the Little Red Quilt House to my website and my blog. Thank you for visiting.

I'll be working on some personal quilting and sewing projects in the next week or two. I can't reveal what those projects are or the surprise(s) will be spoiled.

Time to get some rest and be ready to rise and shine and quilt, quilt, quilt.
Kathy

Made My Day

When I opened my email this afternoon I found this wonderful note from a client in Florida:

Dear Kathy,
I just got the quilt and it is magnificent! You did such a beautiful job that I did not notice my own flaws. I said I would never do one of those again but seeing your beautiful work has inspired me. Thank you so much for the time and effort you spent. You're the best. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family and I look forward to doing more work with you. Cheryl-Mom of Gus

Cheryl made my day today! Here is a glimpse at part of her photo quilt that I did for her. (The faces are blocked to protect the innocent.)

I am off to get a quick bite to eat and then back to working on the Christmas rush.

Kathy

Announcing Certification

I am so excited. So excited that I have decided to start a blog. I want everyone to know that I have recently received my Creative Studio Trainer certification. This certification allows me to teach other Statler owners how to use the new Creative Studio program.

This has been a wonderful experience.















I attended the Statler Users Group and Representative (SUGAR) conference this past May and took a two day "Train the Trainer" course from Paul Statler (the creator of the Statler Stitcher) and Kim Diamond (Sweet Dream Quilting Studio).

In those two days, I learned the capabilities of the program, gave a presentation on one aspect of Creative Studio (we did not know which aspect we were going to teach until we arrived in the room), and took a very long and involved written exam. When I returned home I was to stitch out a sampler that demonstrated all the aspects of Creative Studio. That sampler was then mailed to Kim Diamond where she in turned reviewed my performance on the presentation, written exam and my sampler.

I love being a Certified Creative Studio Trainer!



Jim and I have been spending time with other Statler stitchers. We attended the first NE SUGAR conference earlier this month in Connecticut. Jackie Kunkel of Canton Village Quilt Works (cvquiltworks.com) organized the get together. Where's Jackie? Where's Jackie's quilt?



Our host were Mark and Janice Roy from the Little Red Quilt House. It was great to see some familiar faces and meet some new ones. I can't wait until we convene again. It should be in the spring.

It's time to call it a day.
Until next time, happy quilting.

Kathy