way to save

I'm having my chairs and chaise reupholstered, and so I have been running all over NYC trying to find the PERFECT fabrics for them... purely by color, not price, just finding the right thing...

I've been to the fancy places, I've gone the dusty packed full of fabric places in my hood, and I've gone to the Silk Trading Company...and the upholstery fabric district down near Chinatown...

I gathered my fabric swatches, and decided EXACTLY what I wanted..
(the top left purple with a swish zag through it)

Until I looked at the prices...

See that, orange purple gold silk fabric?
$250 a YARD
(ZOIKS!!!!)

NO WAY, that's out.

ok then.

How about the blue-ish purple toile silk to the right of the lavender linen?
$180 a yard...
NOPE, that's out!

That top Purple silk top left hand corner that I originally liked seemed like a bargain,
at $72 a yard

nope. still to much for me.

I went back to the store where I recently found the fabric for my couch...
and low and behold, I got yards for $6 a yard for the chaise
and $8 a yard for my two chairs! YIPPEE!

So what to do with the pricey fabric samples?

Sew them all together into a pillow to sit on my $9 dollar a yard couch!


Cheap and Cheery!

Somethiing old is new

OLD:
I've had this old quilt top laying in a box that I picked up in an antique shop sometime ago.
I love 9 patches, even though this was a bit dull, and A little short for a bed, although the width was perfect..

I wanted to brighten it up a little,
and make it fit a twin size bed properly, so I took it apart...

And without changing it up to drastically,
I added in some color...


Found the perfect backing and binding...
I love stripes, even more than polka dots!

And am ready to lay this one out to pin baste & quilt...
New!
It's also right up my daughters alley on colors...
perhaps she'll be fighting me for it!

sunday play

Play with old rescued blocks ...

Play with nature

Play with beasts

Play with old quilts I forgot to ever post...
(I have a habit of showing completed tops and
never showing completed quilts...)


Happy PLAYING.

TGIF

I got a few quilts back from Linda.. A bunch I just didn't want to do on my machine...
one was the Kitchen sink Quilt!

I think it maybe my first quilt to live on one of MY beds!
yes, I make many quilts but I don't have any on my own beds. go figure!

I just need to get to binding...

These were two old tops I had... they look so good all quilted up...
the funky blue one, looks to me like it was supposed to be a signature quilt,
but never got it's signatures!


I love this one with a row of half squares, sewn in wrong....
It was like Xmas opening up this box today! Fun stuff!

Last night I took my hubby out to dinner for his birthday,
and the Empire State Building was glowing ALL GREEN...
love the colors and the heavy sky...

I heart NEW YORK!

Happy Weekend!

sticking the course

Talent - I don't know what that is. It's will.
You dream a dream and then you build it. - Philippe Petit

I read that quote this morning, and it got me thinking...

What is talent... What is "who we are?"

Everyone has their journey, their process,
whether you consider yourself an artist or not.
Whatever you make, or do,
there is an ART to it.

You have a thought,
You begin to build on that thought,
and you find a way to work it out.

With play, with practice,

with patience, and criticism,
both from yourself and from others,
and pride...

Is it important for it to be called a "talent? "

Or is it just being you?

By developing your talent, or your dreams,

you developing who you are...



Last night I played in my scrap bag swap partner, Bonnie's, materials.

I worked quickly, sometimes with a thought, sometimes not...
I let the colors guide me, and felt free getting back to making a quilt
the way
I LOVE TO MAKE QUILTS...

Free from caring if others will like it...

I work with a thought or a feeling, and build on it.

And for today, that makes me Hysterically happy.


I'd like to encourage your creativity today.

Find the delight your process brings.


Happy Sewing.

WIN A SEWING MACHINE!

DONATE TO WIN


Janome Memory Craft MC200E 5x5" Hoop Embroidery Machine


Need a New Sewing Machine?

You can win this one!

The More You Give to BASICS , the bigger the Prize!

To start it off,
the very first 25 People
who send in a quilt for donation
will Receive
a $10 Gift certificate to PINK CHALK FABRICS
and one of these people, through a raffle, will also win a gift of
5 Vintage Feedsacks.


When we reach 50 quilts
we will do a raffle for:
two $50 gift certificates
from PINK CHALK FABRICS

at 75 QUILTS
2 raffles

ONE raffle for a
gift package from PURL SOHO (worth $75)
includes Last Minute Patchwork Quilted Gifts and 6 half yards of fabric!


And one raffle for:
6 Vintage Feedsacks along with
a package of 4 Patterns from
PINK CHALK FABRICS

at 100 QUILTS:
A $100 gift certificate
for long arm services from
COTTAGE GARDEN QUILTS


At 200 Quilts:

The Janome Memory Craft MC200E 5x5" Hoop Embroidery Machine!

All it takes is a donation of one quilt.

PLEASE POST, BLOG AND SHARE!!!

Got a Quilt that needs a home?

Donate it.

Your quilt donation will not only provide families they serve
with physical warmth,
but the warmth of knowing that we care.

http://bumblebeansbasics.com

Please visit the site for ALL the information
regarding donating your quilt.

"Good things happen because people who care make them happen."

15 + one day

Shelly and I are constantly working on collaborations together, and last week she put together scraps that she made into one piece of fabric, using my "15 Minutes" a day to squeeze it in between other projects...

These piece are about 1", some less, and over all it was about a 12" square.
I knew right away, as she as posting it ,what I wanted to do with it...

I couldn't wait to get my grubby little hands on it!

So. I rcvd it yesterday, and right away I got to making the tree.
15 minutes.

Then today, for 15 minutes, I added the borders around the tree, and with my fabulous

Accuquilt cutter, whipped out the half square triangles...
See what 15 minutes gets ya!
Hope you like it, lady!

*****
Something I needed to spend 15 minutes on was this little mothers day quilt for my Mother!
Yes, I know I'm late! it's all Paula Prass fabrics... I just Love it. Summer Soiree ,
I think has been one of my all time favorite lines...
I savor every last piece of it I have... YUM.

Over the weekend, I was playing in my scrap bins to make a few scrappy blocks...
More to go, But I will save that for another day for 15 minutes each...

My daughter has been helping me lay out a few more Basics House Block Quilts tops...
It's been so fun to look through the house blocks and find themes among them for quilts...

My Pal Britt, took three sets for quilts to put together for me. Thanks Doll!

Got Quilts?

Keep the quilts coming for the Bumble Beans Basics Quilt Gather!

The more quilts I get the more prizes I can give away!


A bunch have been sent, and am waiting on the updates from Basics...

******

Happy Sewing!

oooh! Lastly! Did you see Karen has her ONLINE QUILT MUSEUM , up and running?
Go peak, it's so fun to look through all the great quilts!