Have you missed me?

I am flying home Monday and will be anxious to share some amazing pictures and stories with you after a fabulous week's vacation with my husband, Mark.

I do miss my babies and machines so I will be happy to be home. Can't believe I've missed the whole world series, too. That's bad timing.,

Hope everyone is well and sewing away.,

Love to you all
Randy, and I will reveal where we went!

Titanium needles?

Have you heard of titanium needles for your sewing machine?  My friend Pat (Life's a Stitch) told me about them so when I was at the quilt show recently, I bought myself a package and finally had a chance to try them out.

OMG.  They are amazing.
Either that, or the oil I put on my machine made a huge difference!!
Just wondering if anyone else has tried them and likes them?

So far, I'm sold on them!

Love to you all,
Randy

Third Wednesday of October - Sow-A-Long blocks

Okay so they are a little late.  But, honestly, I have NOT been home at all.  If I haven't been at my daughter's, they've been at my house.  I even got to have the beautiful girl Emma at my house TWO nights last week, without her mom! How special was that? Sewing can wait...babies can't! And then of course there's Ryan...

1.  BROKEN WINDOW

This block requires 16 scrappy hsts, 1-1/2" unf, 1" fin, so please use your scraps and make them in your favorite way.

This block also requires 8 flying geese, 1-1/2" x 2-1/2" unfit, 1 x 2" fin.  Please use your favorite method to make them as well.

2.  CONNECTICUT

Dark (center):  Cut (1) 2-5/8" square
medium:         Cut (2) 2-1/2" square, cut ONCE on the diagonal

You are making a square in a square, 3-1/2" unf, 3" fin.

You need (4) flying geese, 2" x 3-1/2" unf, 1-1/2" x 3" fin.
Use your favorite method to make these.

You need 4 hsts, 2" unf, 1-1/2" fin.

I'm only able to post these two this week; my husband and I are leaving early tomorrow for a little getaway.

See you next week.
Love to you all,
Randy

Lucky Nana

I got to have darling Emma overnight at our house! No sewing but who's complaining??
Note she and Max are on the quilt I found in Wisconsin!

Pacific Intl Quilt Festival, Part I

Last weekend was the most fabulous quilt show held nearby my house.  It is run by the Mancuso group and includes great quilts and, of course, quite a few vendors!!! Always something to buy.

I have taken some pictures to show you from the show, for your enjoyment.

This was an award winner. It's all hand appliquéd and the machine quilting is absolutely superb!

I thought this was one of the most interesting quilts I saw.  The quilter was commemorating her friendships with several women with a trip to a fictional town.  This is the place they "went to."

Believe it or not, this is a Dear Jane quilt, done in one Kaffe Fasset fabric and a "solid" background.  I thought the setting was extremely interesting, not to mention the machine quilting!! Can you see the "9 patches" as setting blocks? They are done by machine quilting!!

This is another award winner: hand appliqué and hand quilting!! Quite beautiful.

This week I'm again staying with my daughter helping out with the baby.  In fact, they visited last weekend and she left the darling Emma with us!! The good news is I'm getting lots of baby and Ryan time. The bad news is I'm completely unable to do any sewing.

So regrettably, NO SOW-A-LONG blocks this week. I'm terribly sorry. I will hope to get them by the end of the week. Please don't think I'm a flake. I'm the doting Nana instead...

Love to you all,
Randy, in absolutely gorgeous San Francisco

Dangerous weatherstripping...sheesh

Ever do something so stupid, avoidable and embarrassing??
I opened a door onto my foot, causing the very sharp edge of the weatherstripping to cut my foot. I went to the doctor to get an antibiotic (of course I didn't go right away...) and wound up having minor surgery to completely remove my toe nail!! No pedicures for me anytime soon!!


At least it wasn't one of my fingers, right??

I'm feeling fine-- was a little challenging walking to the park with Ryan and Emma yesterday but it's not so bad... Just feel stupid! And anxious to fix it so no one else has the same problem!!

Sow-A-Long blocks, first Wednesday of October

I just returned from a fabulous week's retreat in New Glarus, Wisconsin, with some wonderful friends.  I was able to work on several projects, especially since my cell phone reception was so crummy and I didn't have the internet, so I had very few distractions!! (aside from my friends who were always very entertaining!!).

So I'm sorry that I wasn't able to post  the blocks for last week's installment -- hopefully you were able to use the extra time to do other projects or maybe even (**gasp**) catch up.

1.  DOMINO NET

9 patches:
Background:   Cut (1) strip 1-1/2" x 17"
dark:             cut (1) strip 1-1/2" x 14"
Sew together to make (2) 9-patches, 3-1/2" unf, 3" fin.

Corners:
Medium:        cut (2) 2-1/2" squares
medium 2:     cut (4) 1-1/2" x 2-1/2" rectangles
Dark:            cut (2) 1-1/2" squares

2.  SMOKEHOUSE

Medium 1:     Cut (1) 3" square, cut ONCE on the diagonal  (my RED)
Medium 2:     cut (1) 3" square, cut ONCE on the diagonal  (my BLACK)
Background:   Cut (4) 2" squares, cut ONCE on the diagonal

Background:   cut (6) 2" squares
Medium:        cut (6) 2" squares
You are making 12 hsts, 1-1/2" fun, 1" fin. 

I have called these units "Mary's triangles"--they consist of a hst, 2 background triangles and one large medium triangle from above. They each  should measure 2-1/2" unf, 2" fin.

When you sew 4 of them together to form the center unit, it should measure  4-1/2" unfin, 4" fin.

Dark (corners):  cut (4) 1-1/2" squares (my BLACK)

Background:   Cut (4) 2" squares
Medium:        cut (1) 3-1/4" square, cut TWICE on the diagonal
You are making (4) flying geese, 1-1/2" x 2-1/2" unfin, 1" x 2" fin.

3.  SQUARES AND DIAMONDS:

Medium (center):   Cut (1) 2-1/2" square (my RED)

Medium:       cut (2) 3-1/4" square, cut TWICE on the diagonal (my BLUE)
Dark:           cut (1) 3-1/4" square, cut TWICE on the diagonal (my PINK)
Medium 2:    cut (1) 3-1/4" square, cut TWICE on the diagonal (my BEIGE)
These are the star points/quarter square triangles.

Background: cut (2) 3" squares
Medium:      cut (2) 3" squares (my RED)
You are making (4) half square triangles, 2-1/2" unf, 2" fin. 

That's it! aren't they fabulous? I loved looking at them while retreating, and couldn't wait to share them.

Next set of blocks with be posted Oct. 17th (second Wednesday of the month). You are almost finished. I will be posting blocks until mid-December! Then onto the next year's project!!!

Love to you all,
Randy

I'm BACK

I flew back yesterday from Wisconsin and am ready to post the blocks for the sow-a-long blocks, which I wanted to post last week but couldn't.

So watch later today...

THREE AWESOME blocks coming your way!

Love to you all,
Randy
ps: I'm going to also post a picture of the antique quilt I found at the Elkhorn Flea Market. Fabulous!! And such a deal!!!

Who knows what this is??

Can you guess what we found??

Walk in the park

The weather is changing here in Wisconsin, the wind is picking up and the gorgeous fall colors will be gone so I had to take some pictures during a short walk through the park. I'm not sure the pictures can capture the vibrant yellows, oranges and reds though.
Love to you all
Randy, still without the Internet!!

Frustrated by no connection

I'm sorry to say that the place where we are retreating has no Internet nor very good phone service so the Sow-a-long blocks are will have to wait until I can get to an Internet place....
So sorry
love to you all
Randy in New Glarus, Wisconsin

Fall in Wisconsin

Aren't these gorgeous??

Flea market in Elkhorn, Wisconsin

One of the main reasons I flew to the midwest on Saturday was so I could go to the famous flea market in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, with my friends.  It's only held once a month and yesterday's was the last of the year (they obviously have a short season in Wisconsin!!).  Keep in mind that my body was on California time so when DarLynn told me we were leaving at 5:15, I almost begged off. But ever the trooper, I got up at 5 (3 AM in California)!!

It was well worth it. It opened at 7 AM and this was the line to get in! You can even see some of the fall color on the trees.

Here's DarLynn at one booth where they had the most amazing display of pumpkins and gourds etc.

I really thought Pat should buy these scissors for her shop, but she resisted. They were all of $8 (asking price!!).

I thought this was the funniest thing all day.

Today, we are on our way to Edward's Apple Orchard in Wisconsin where they have the absolutely most delicious apples in the WORLD.

Hope you are having a great Monday.

Love to you all,
Randy in beautiful Wisconsin