Sew & Tell: Why my sewing machine deserves a week at the spa

Finished these bags for my Potholder Pass 7 partner.  Well, almost anyway.  My machine got very sick.  These are finished, but there was more I had planned to send her.  And I will, in a couple weeks when Joy gets back from the spa.

Made this cute Ditty bag to go with it.  The pattern lining up was a happy accident.  I am not that good!

I struggled to find a clean area of my house when I took the picture.  Sometimes that is just the way it is!  At least the laundry was clean!  Both bag patterns were purchased from Keyka Lou, and were wonderfully written, not to mention nicely priced.  She has more in her shop that I long for!!

Robert Kaufman Challenge complete except binding.  With Joy on vacation, it is just is going to have to wait.

Decided to leave some of the Dresdens off, it was just too much.  I call it "April Showers, May Flowers".  We were given the word Spring.   This says spring to me!

I used variegated thread to machine applique the flowers down.  Yellow thread for the centers.  With the quilting I went back to the variegated thread, and pretended to be rain.  I left a few gaps to hand quilt, just because I am a glutton for punishment.  (Many layers!)

This is the binding I plan on using.  It has that watery feel to it!

Here is the back.  It is okay if you like it better, I just might too!  I haven't decided for sure, but this may be a playroom wall hanging when the Lord drops a bigger house out of the sky!

This is some secrety-sewing.  I believe the pattern is called Kings Crown.  The fabric is Martinique.

The back, and no, I am not tellin'!

Linking up with Sew & Tell, please use the button on the sidebar, and visit all the other finishes.  You won't regret it!

Purple Peep Eater

Many of you know that I love purple.  What you probably don't know is that I love Peeps.  My favorite, of course, are the purple ones.  Since I prefer them stale (I know weird) you could say that I am passionate about my purple Peeps.

What I am not is a purple Peep creep.  I don't think that purple Peeps are the only REAL candy.  (Chocolate anyone?)  I don't think that everyone should HAVE to like them.  I realize that purple only adds to my experience, but not to the sweetness of the Peep.  I will eat the blue Bunnies in a pinch!  ;0)

I can, and do, love those who hate the Peep.  If you can't stand purple I can still love you.  (Some of my favorite people love red, I just don't get it, but I love them!)

 

If everyone were like me, the world would be flat and let's face it, very scary indeed.  There would be nothing unique, nothing to spark my interest, nothing to make me grow.

No Joy!

Insert shudders.

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  There is no law against these things!"

Galatians 5:22, 23

This year I have been focusing on "Joy", mostly because mine was a bit tarnished.  I cannot fail to produce the other fruit though.  If I do, I will never have joy.

What that means in my virtual world is this.  I like whatever it is you do.   Feel free to borrow what you like, but I don't ever expect you to be me.  I would rather delete this blog than to discourage you (or make you that crazy!).  I want you to have joy and a purple Peep, but only if you want them.

Blessings,

KT

DS fabric

Click on the picture!! Go ahead...decrease my chances!!! ;0)
I promise I will forgive!

Blessings,

KT

Have you ever nearly wet your pants?

I came close when I got this in the mail yesterday!

In a word, perfection!  So precisely pieced, great fabric, and much thoughtfulness.  When I saw it in the Flickr group, I could not allow myself to hope for it.  Amy and I have been bloggy-email buddies for a little while now, and it has been a pleasure.  When she won these fabrics from Jennifer Paganelli, I was at least able to be happy for her (she is such a sweetie)!  But who would have thought she would share in such a wonderful way?  By the way Amy, you picked my two favorite prints in the bunch!

But that is not all, she sent a FQ of gorgeousness along too!  Plans are starting to perk.  Thanks so much Amy, perfection is the only word to describe it!!  I am still floating.  :0)

Amy has an etsy shop, and wonderful prints in it!!  Yup, bought these awhile back, and I am saving them for something special.  These smootchin' cuties happened when she listened to a nutball commenter (yup, that would be me) on her blog, so of course I snatched them up when she put them in her shop.

Also bought this quilting process panel and the accompanying mini quilt pattern.  They are collecting a small pile of purple.

So in all of this, here is my Friday finish.  Honestly I finished it a week or so ago, but haven't been gutsy enough to post it until now.  This is the project Joy began coughing on.  (I figure she must have caught my bronchitis.)  There are many stops and starts because of the skipping stitches issue.  Thanks ladies for all the great advice.  I think Joy (and I) need a week at the spa!  ;0)

Be sure to visit Amy, Amy's shop, and the other Friday finishes!!

Blessings,

KT

Sew, any ideas?

First off, I am having technical difficulties with my sewing machine.  {pout}

For some reason, she doesn't like quilting.  Skipping 3-5 stitches if there is batting involved in the process.

-Needle, changed to new ones from several different packs.

- Vacuumed out bobbin area, several times.

- Changed thread.  Sigh.

-Slowly changed tension, from loopy to breaking thread, still skipping stitches.

If you have any ideas, I would love to hear them!

Left the dirt on the floor to match the wrinkles on the quilt top!

This is my WIP today.  Apparently Joy doesn't mind applique.  No skipped stitches, with only the top two left to stitch down.  Huh.

This is my Robert Kaufman Challenge.  Hopefully I will get my machine issues figured out in time to quilt it by the April 30th deadline.

I have also been interviewing fabric for my potholder pass swap...a bag.  No quilting here, so I should be able to whip it up quickly once I know what my partner likes.

The trouble is, she seems to like almost everything.

But I really want her to LOVE it.  Ya know?!

So, I am going to put up a little mosaic and see if she responds.

Of course, it might be fun if you all weigh in too!

My other WIPs:

Boy's quilt-basted and waiting for a cooperative machine :0)

Grandma's Peacock Wall Hanging-ditto!

Side table quilt-double ditto!!

Friend's Birthday Purse (late)-ya, the quilting thing

Sister-in-law's Mother's Day Purse-......sigh...

I am linking up with WIP Wednesday.  Be sure to use the nifty button on the side bar to visit all the other ladies to drool over what they are working on!!

Blessings,

KT