My Life – Page 20 – Quilting my way through life!

End-of-Glue-Bottle-itis Cure!

March 16, 2017 suznquilts

Were you raised like me with the adage, “waste not, want not”?

My MIL was routinely jabbed by her daughters for spending $10 on nuts to use up the brown bananas in banana bread instead of throwing away the bananas…

Well, I guess some things are just in our genes.

I can’t stand not getting the last of the glue out of the bottle.

Perhaps it’s because it’s a $9.00 bottle of glue,

or perhaps it’s the way I was raised,

but either way I’ve found a cure!

This morning as I was getting ready to glue up some circles

for my latest Tiny Dresden Quilt when

I realized you might enjoy this tip.

I keep my little Dresden plate supplies in a handy wooden tray

so they are always conveniently together.

Since I use Roxanne Glue-Baste-It VERY FREQUENTLY,

it seems when I get to the end of the bottle I habitually turn it upside down wedged in a corner of the tray with my other supplies so the glue is closer to the tip of the needle when I get ready to use it again very soon.

Of course it would slip or fall over so it was not always as I left it.

Then I would have to wait for the glue to come back to the tip to use it again.

Since I also keep some thread there it dawned on me one day not too long ago that the thread spool was the exact right size to hold the needle of the glue bottle and it keeps it perfectly upright.

The almost-gone-glue is at the tip of the needle always!

Who doesn’t have a spool of thread?

Now I can use up the last drop of glue while making perfect little circles!

But, now my Tiny Dresdens are dry and I must get back to work!

Have a good day &

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

A Giveaway!, My Life

Get Your Chicago Quilt Festival 2017 Complimentary Passes Here!

March 13, 2017 suznquilts

Are you planning or considering attending the Chicago Quilt Festival April 6-8?

If so, I have a complimentary pass for the first 20 to request them!

Chloe & I will be there in booth #2006

& my friend, Susan Knapp of The Quilt Branch, will be close by in booth #1907.

I’m working on lots of new patterns &

I’ll be giving demos on my beautiful little Dresden plates!

Quilt Festival Chicago

April 6-8, 2017

Classes begin April 6

Donald E. Stephens Convention Center

5555 N. River Rd.

Rosemont, Illinois, USA 60018

HOURS:

Thursday & Friday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

DAILY ADMISSION:

General: $10

Seniors 65+/Students/Military: $8

Children 10 and under free with paid admission

Full Show Pass: $25

If you would like a complimentary pass,

be one of the first 20 to send me an email at:

SuznQuilts@aol.com

Please put “Chicago Festival” in the subject line

& include your snail mail address so I can send it to you.

(If you need one for a friend, have them email me separately.)

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

A Giveaway!, My Life

simple, fun & quickly done book give-away!

February 22, 2017February 22, 2017 suznquilts

Terry Atkinson has a new book!

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It’s Simple, Fun & Quickly Done and it’s

published by That Patchwork Place.

Even if you think you don’t know Terry, I’m pretty sure you do.

She’s the designer of the most-popular-quilt-pattern-ever;

Yellow Brick Road.

Yellow Brick Road Pattern

Her new book includes 18 adorable little projects

& they all remind me of spring.

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Crazy, I know, but it’s been feeling like spring here even though it’s February.

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These cute Citrus Slices hot pads make me think of Dresden plates.

(I know, what doesn’t remind me of Dresden plates, right?)

suznquiltszipper-pocketgiftwrap This Zipper-Pocket Gift Wrap is a water bottle wrap, but also a little purse.

Terry is so ingenuous!

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My favorites are these cute little Sewing Supplies Roll-ups.

And she even has a quilt-as-you-go table runner!

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It’s done in the same fashion as all of my quilt-as-you-go patterns.

For those of you that like my quilt-as-you-go projects,

this might be your favorite.

You know it’s quick & easy.

You can get a bunch of these made for Christmas gifts.

As a matter of fact, you could make a lot of Christmas and Birthday gifts from the patterns in Terry’s new book!

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Good news…

I have a copy that could be yours just for leaving me a comment.

Your comment should answer the question,

how many Yellow Brick Road quilts have you made?

It seems if you make one, you’ll make more because they’re so easy.

So, leave me a comment.

I’ll be having a drawing Friday!

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

My Life, New Christmas Quilt Fabric, new fabric collection

Beautiful (fabric) Snowfall

February 13, 2017 suznquilts

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I think you’ll agree, Snowfall is beautiful!

Of course I’m talking about a new fabric line

not the stuff that comes with cold weather

like what we had a taste of last week,

along with two nearly 70 degree days.

Much to Nemo’s dismay it was so nice I gave him a bath one of those days!

But nope, I’m talking about the new Snowfall fabric line.

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This is Minick & Simpson’s new Christmas line by Moda.

It is scheduled to be delivered to quilt shops near you in April.

It will be here before we know it.

Goodness, it’s Valentine’s Day already tomorrow.

Where does the time go?

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I love these ladies and their beautiful fabrics!

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This line has cute little prints in my favorite Christmas colors.

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I’m pretty sure they designed it just for me ;)

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They’ll make perfect little Dresden plates don’t you think?

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It has some gorgeous woven plaids too.

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I’ve been harboring these beauties since December!

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The iron however, I just bought over the weekend.

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Isn’t it adorable???

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& it looks so cute with Snowfall don’t you think?

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I need to stop procrastinating

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but I hardly know where to start.

The first cut it always the hardest!

I don’t want to waste a single snippet.

I hope your day looks just as bright!

Just keep sewing…

Susan

Dresden Plate Quilt, Mini Dresden Patterns, My Life, New Quilt pattern sample, New tiny Dresden plate quilts, Quilt Retreats

Retreating Again

January 25, 2017January 25, 2017 suznquilts

It’s always fun to get away to sew (& eat)!

And sew I did, all weekend long…

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I got a lot done on my new pattern sample.

I sewed the Tiny Dresden petals that I showed you last week.

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Trimming and then pressing.

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Turning right side out and making pretty points.

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All 384 of them!

And, not 1 was lost since I was using my new cutlery tray

to transport them back & forth to the ironing board and my sewing machine.

I had made the Mini Dresden centers last week.

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Roxanne’s EZ-Squeeze glue, my Classic Metal Company brochure,

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and Appliquick Bar give me very precise results every single time.

I also had 4 half (+ seam allowance) circles to made for the 4 half Mini Dresden blocks.

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Same process, but you don’t have to cover the long straight edge

since it will go inside the seam allowance when it’s sewn into the quilt.

Fun, fun, fun!!!

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32 Tiny Dresden plates

5 Mini Dresden plates

4 half Mini Dresden plates

32 freezer paper leaves

8 stems

(but I needed 16… 4 x 4 =16, not 8!!!)

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Each 23″ block has 1 Mini Dresden plate,

8 Tiny Dresden plates,

8 leaves & 4 stems.

I got 3 of the 4 big blocks appliqued before we left Sunday,

but you’ll have to wait to see those, sorry.

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This is all that’s left of the pieces.

Can’t wait to finish it.

It’s been a whole month since Christmas.

What are you creating?

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

Dresden Plate Quilt, My Life, New Moda Fabric Collection

A New Year, A New Quilt

January 18, 2017 suznquilts

suznquiltsdq53fabrics So, how is 2017 going for you so far?

The teacher & the student have both gone back to school.

I’ve adjusted to being another year older…

Christmas & all it’s trimmings are put away,

but I’m lucky that it still resembles Christmas in my sewing room

& I’m back at the sewing machine.

Meet Sweet Cherry Wine.

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This is Blackbird’s new fabric collection by Moda,

displayed on my extra cool Christmas gift from David!!!

It’s an antique thread display case/cash wrap

from a general store circa 1880-1890, that he found on Craigslist.

I feel a bit like the Olsen’s (from Little House on the Prairie).

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(and a Coral Bells by Jan Patek charcoal that I added)

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In case you couldn’t guess,

it’s going to be a new little Dresden plate quilt!

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These are some of the Mini Dresden petals.

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More Mini petals… (powered by Diet D.P.)

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and some tiny Dresden petals waiting for me to start stitching.

We’re going to Rosemary’s this weekend, yeah for us!

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I’m planning to get a lot of this quilt done.

I’ve already got a good start.

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I’m using my “new” cutlery tray that Chloe bought me for my birthday.

It makes assembling little Dresden petals all the more fun.

Fun meaning I’m not looking all over for stray petals!!!

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She also bought me a table made from an antique treadle machine

to put my “new” spool cabinet/cash wrap on.

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For now it’s in the basement (my fulfillment center)

where I plan to use it to store my shipping supplies & brochures

but who knows where it will end up?

Must get back to work!

#LuckyGirl

Just keep sewing…

Susan

My Life

Merry Christmas 2016

December 24, 2016 suznquilts

It’s my favorite time of the year;

spending time with family & friends in Jesus’ name.

My Christmas wish is that everyone gets to spend time with family & friends.

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Last week I designed a nativity for fusible applique

(for Christmas 2017 patterns).

Not a little Dresden in sight!!!

Yesterday I decided to put it onto a few towels for Christmas gifts for my family.

So, I fused the design then

cut out the shapes.

This afternoon, after finishing my Christmas shopping,

I fused then stitched them onto 6 cotton towels

(1 for my mom & dad, 5 for my siblings).

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Now to get them wrapped!

Christmas blessings to you & your families.

Just keep sewing…

Susan

My Life

A Graduation Quilt for Blake

December 14, 2016 suznquilts

Just one short year ago we celebrated Blake’s graduation.

(I’m getting old, it seems like yesterday…)

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We had a party & invited Abe.

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Of course we invited Abe,

Blake’s degree is in history & he is now teaching history at a local high school.

Fun was had by all…

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There was plenty of dessert!

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A chosen few even got to help him open his gifts.

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I prepared & set out special signature blocks.

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I didn’t know what kind of quilt I would make,

but I decided the signatures would eventually be stars.

So I cut out a nice size signature area from a piece of freezer paper

& fused it onto a 6″ x 6″ piece of muslin.

I also fused a 6″ x 6″ piece of freezer paper to the back side of the

muslin so the blocks would be easier for everyone to sign.

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Eventually last summer Blake & I set to designing a quilt.

(I know, it’s the dentists’ kids who have the worst teeth…

& it’s my kids that I procrastinate making quilts for.

I’m always working on quilts for my business.)

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Thanks to a chat with a friend last night I now know how to save a screen shot to a jpg so I can show you this page in my design software!

How’s that for karma?

Anyway,

we started with the stars that I would make

from the signature blocks gathered at his party;

calculating size options & quantity.

We then set to choosing fabrics.

A year ago when I decided on the stars I had envisioned using

these Nancy Gere Civil War era fabrics

that I bought at the Hickory Stick during my mom’s

& my last trip to Hannibal with all of my kids… 2009!

I know this because I dated the fabrics.

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I was surprised, shocked & excited that Blake

was drawn to my vintage Thimbleberry fabrics!!!

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Unfortunately for him, I did not have enough of his first choice in blue.

Just goes to show you really should buy the whole bolt of everything that you like ;)

Some of these fabrics are like 20 years old!

No doubt he’s my kid!

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He enjoyed the designing process with me.

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As I was pulling out fabrics from here, there & everywhere,

I remembered this George Washington print.

I got that at Paducah one year.

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It goes perfectly with one of the background calligraphy prints

by Bonnie Sullivan from The Quilted Cottage on Main in St. Charles,

formerly Helen’s Hen House.

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Again, who’s kid is this anyway that’s picking all my precious fabrics???

Then again, I’m going to enjoy sewing them.

So, finally, a year later…

I pulled out those signature blocks last night.

I removed the freezer paper backing, fused fusible web to them & cut out 48 stars.

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Today I’m ready to piece the blue background fabric for the top of the quilt.

I love the buttonhole stitch, so that’s my plan for the applique.

I’m going to need a movie for this!

What are you working on?

Finishing up your Christmas sewing?

Whatever it is, I hope you have fun.

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

A Giveaway!, My Life

Classic Metal Company Light Winners

November 26, 2016 suznquilts

How was your Thanksgiving?

I had just enough turkey, pie & black Friday shopping to be content!

Today I’m putting away fall &

carrying down boxes Christmas decorations.

It’s so nice out today.

So nice in fact, that when I took a package to our mailbox

I decided to start there with the Christmas decorating.

So far I have the greenery on our mailbox & my parents’ mailbox

(they live down the street)

and a couple of wooden lollipops outside as well.

When Clare gets home from work we will start making the house festive!

I hope your Thanksgiving weekend has been enjoyable too.

It’s about to get even more enjoyable for two of you!

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It’s time for a drawing…

#20 Paula

#27 Christine Prager

You’re going to love these!

For those of you that didn’t win,

perhaps you could put one on your Christmas list???

It sounds like everyone has the perfect spot in mind for one already.

Order yours from Classic Metal Company here.

Thanks for all your comments &

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

A Giveaway!, My Life

Happy Thanksgiving 2016 & a De-Light-ful Give-Away!!!

November 24, 2016November 26, 2016 suznquilts

No matter how you’re spending your Thanksgiving Day,

I hope it is enjoyable!

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I wish many blessings for you and your loved ones this holiday season.

******************************

I promised a give-away this week, remember?

A while ago I contacted Mark at Classic Metal Company to let him know how much I appreciate the nice brochure I received when we bought our barn quilt a while back.

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