Quilting going On!

It has been a busy week here at Redquilts and I really wanted to blog earlier but have not been feeling good...trip to Dr. today and I've been gifted with a wonderful bladder infection :(  Never had one before and my back is killing me!

 I have some things to catch up on here.   First, two lovely squishies have arrived in my mail box in the past weeks.

 A pretty little selection of Christmasy fabrics from my good friend Connie to use in the quilt I am currently piecing

A scrumptious little bundle of wool and Moda squares from my blogging bud Mary .  Thanks to both of you....it was just like Christmas getting these in the mail!

 Two Bits Schnibbles done in one of the Marcus's Cause for a Cure charm packs.  Alliance I believe....I really love how country this one turned out!  It will be the first quilt we do in Schnibble's Club at the shop.

 September's Bunny Hill BOM done just in time for the new one to come out!LOL!  Only 3 more months to go and then I can start piecing this baby together....I'm so excited!!!

 This is a quilt from my friend Connie that I quilted for her.  It's all done in flannels and I think it's called Star in a Star from an old Quick Quilts magazine.  It looked so good on my bed LOL!!

 Here's the stippling up close.  I think it looks pretty good...what do you think?

With the return of some cool weather last week, Misha decided the floor was too cold to sleep on so he's snuggling up on the sofa afghans.....can you believe he pulled 3 of them down to make this "comfy" snuggle spot :)  And no, he's not fat....just fluffy!  LOL!  

I've been having a great time with the Falloween blog Hop...it's day 3 and guess how many great free patterns I now have!  THREE!  I love them all and can't wait to start one of them.  If you haven't been hopping, then you should be!  

Last week's giveaway winner of the Pin Cushion has never contacted me after I sent her an email so hubby drew another  name from the list and the new winner of the pin cushion is Joanna of NeedleThreadHappiness!  Congratulations Joanna!

Thanks everyone who responded to my post about Getting Picky.  I loved all the comments but there was just too many of you to respond back to each.  Please forgive me :)!  I am glad I could get you all thinking about that topic.

Happy Stitching!

A Sweet Giveaway!

Quick!!! Run on over to Rhonda's at Patches and Pieces to enter for a sweet Giveaway!  Tell her Shelley sent you :)!

Fun New Things!

There are some fun new events taking place out in blogland and I invite you all to participate!  I know I am!  First, there is the Fall into Fall Quilter's Blog Giveaway and yes, I have joined to be one of the quilter's blogs giving something away!  Why not...the last giveaway was so much fun!  Read more about it here.  This event starts October 1st!  You must go to the Fall into Fall site on Oct 1 by clicking on the Scarecrow on my sidebar.

The second fun event taking place is the Fall-o-ween Quilt Designer Blog Hop!  This is a fun event that takes you hopping around to some sweet quilt designer blogs to check out what they are up to! Did I mention special projects!  For Free! LOL!  This event starts September 27th here.  Be sure to check these great events out and a big thanks to all the organizers!  Happy stitching!

It's a WIN!

It's Monday and it's time to announce the winners in my 100th Post Celebration Giveaway!  Oh, I had such fun, ate too much cake, got a little silly with the all the balloons and fell asleep before the fireworks!  (full bellies make you sleepy lol)!  

That crazy pin cushion! LOLOL!  You all wanted it!! Jumpin's, who'd thought a pin cushion would have been in such demand!  Maybe I should have started taking bids on it, then I could retire early LOL!

It was so fun to hear from you all and a big HELLO and Come on over anytime! to my newbies!  Okay, are y'all ready.....???....

For the Pincushion:  Marj from Eclectic Quilter!  Yay!!! Marg!

For the Book:  Mary Lou Casada from Cheaper Than Therapy Quilting

                       Yay!!!Mary Lou!

For the Fabric: Happy Cottage Quilter

Thanks so much for joining in my celebration!  I wish I could have gifted you all!  Have a great Monday and Happy Stitching!

 

Picky About Quilting?

I want to talk today about the actual quilting that is done on our quilts.  My discussion on this is not meant to be offensive to any quilters out there; they are just observations and food for thought.  I have great respect for all hand quilters and machine quilters.  I like and appreciate both hand and/or machine quilting and think they are both beautiful.

I have both machine and hand quilted myself, so I know exactly what is involved in both processes.

What I want to talk about in particular is this--Are we getting too critical/picky about the quilting itself?  The reason this has been on my mind is I have observed in the past year some very serious "discussions" ( at least, that's what I'll call it) on what I will loosely refer to as the "quality" of someone's stitching. I have observed that it seems to be in the minds of people that the quilting on quilts must be perfect, whether it was machine done or hand done!  When did we raise the bar so high that only perfection is acceptable?  That every stitch, hand or machine must be perfectly even? That's there no room for for anything but? I just don't agree with this, it really troubles me that we have taken our human limitations out the picture.  I have observed quilter's gathered around a newly machine or hand quilted quilt literally picking it apart!

  "oh, look there,  those stitches aren't quite the same size!  She's a machine quilter, it should be perfect! because I paid her to do it!  I won't be taking my work back there!"  Says who, I want to know!  Using a quilting machine takes a lot of time and patience to master, but it is still just a machine being run by a human operator! Even with all the technology available on quilting machines, which I might add not all machine quilters use (and that's fine),  you shouldn't expect perfection!!

"Oh my, her hand quilting is not blankety blank so many stitches per inch and look there...she left a gap in that spot...it should have quilting there too!"   REALLY??!!!  I say kudos to her for hand quilting it period! If you look at the centuries of hand quilted quilts we have around, the quilting is not perfect but it is lovely and enhancing to the quilts.

Are we becoming SNOBS when it comes to the stitching?

Now, to just step to the side for moment, I am NOT talking about the rare times when there is a really true issue with the quilting quality....missed and skipped stitches, thread bunches on the back, severe puckering, etc.

I'm talking about when the quilting seen from 3 feet away looks just fine. I mean, once that quilt is on the bed, do these quilter's really spend their time examining all the stitching?  Isn't the overall appearance the key?  Do these people realize what kind of pressure they are putting on the people who they have do the quilting for them?  Don't they see that they are taking the joy out of their quilt?  And the enjoyment of others who may be standing by looking at their quilt?  

What do you think?  Me, I am just happy my quilts are quilted and now I can finally use them.  I try to do my very best when quilting my quilts but I know I'm only human and therefore, my quilting will not be perfection. My hands and my machine are bound by my human limitations.  I am happy with "the best I can do".  I am happy with the best my machine quilter can do when I send her a quilt. What are you happy with?  Happy quilting:)

100th Post Celebration!!

Celebrate Good Times, Come on!!  Everyone sing along  LOL!  Celebrate Good Times,.........

My goodness, I have had such fun the past 99 posts; and, I can't hardly believe that my 100th post, according to the blog counter, will be this one!  That's so exciting; I have met some wonderful people here, shared lots of laughs and been inspired by all the creativity you have; and that is definitely a reason to celebrate :)  So, today, we will be having

CAKE!!! Decadent Chocolate with lots of calories and sugar and yumminess! There's lots...plenty for second maybe third helpings LOL! We will have 

BALLOONS!!  Of course, we won't be looking like these lovely ladies after we eat all that cake but we have all winter to get back in shape again LOL!  I really love that pink swimsuit :)  Pink is a lighter version of Red ;) afterall!  We will have 

FIREWORKS!  I LOVE fireworks!  And of course, we must have a giveaway of gifts! :)  Just for you, I have gathered a few of my favorite things for this giveaway; and, because I want to spread the fun around a little, there are 3 gifts being offered.  

How about one of my newly made pincushions?  It is made from wool applique on a background of flannel Woolies.  Didn't it turn out sweet!

OR, this wonderful quilt book, which has lots of interesting reading, many patterns that are absolutely drop dead gorgeous!

OR, two half yards and two FQ's of yummy fabric to add to your stash!

How can YOU win one of these gifts?  Two simple things:

1. Only my followers can enter in this 100th Post Celebration. So, if you are a follower, leave me a comment.  If you're not a follower, well get yourself signed on up and leave me a comment too!

 Plus, for a second entry:

2. You must blog about this 100th Post Celebration! Leave me a comment saying you did so.

All comments for entering the Celebration giveaway must be made on THIS post :)

Celebration Giveaway Deadline: Sunday, Sept.19/10, 9 pm Atlantic time.

So, I'll go put the coffee and tea on, set out the cake, gather up the balloons, prepare the fireworks and wait for y'all to come on over! I've got room for everyone LOL!  Oh, I can hardly wait! Hee Hee! Have a great day!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

It's NOT Fetish

IT's a COLLECTION! Pincushions...I have this big love of pincushions!  Old ones, new ones, wool ones, cotton ones, glass ones, knitted ones..any of them, I'm not picky.  This is my little collection that has been growing since I was a little girl. A little girl first learning to embroider needed a place to put her needle for safe keeping so her mother gave her a pincushion that she had made...there it is, see it?, the faded yellow heart with the worn pink rickrack.  That was the only pincushion I had for years, then one Christmas, my grandmother made the knitted orange/blue/pink Phentex yarn one and gave it to me.  I think everyone got one of those pincushions that year! LOL! Remember them from the 1970's?

Two of my old ones....the little glass man with the pin cushion in his basket I found in a box full of whatevers for $2 at a yard sale years ago and the yellow tomato is an old one from the family.

The little black cat in this one was hand made by a Great Aunt who has long passed and it is made of silk and his ears are worn off but he's my favorite one!

And, of course, 16 pincushions is never enough so I bought this pattern a couple of years ago at the Maine Quilt Show to make wool pincushions.  I have the applique done one the fronts and plan to add some beading and buttons before I finish them :)  Lonely pincushions out there should know that they are welcome at my house LOL!

Don't you just love the crow!!  I used Woolies flannel as the background and they feel so comfy and inviting.

I just have to tell you about this little gadget a good friend of mine gave to me a week ago.  Today, when I was machine quilting on Lily, I decided my needle needed to be changed.  I dug out this little baby and decided to see how it would work changing the needle on my Nolting.  Was it ever slick!! It was like making my fingers longer and more stable....everyone who has a longarm type machine should have one of these gadgets!  And, you can see the cost is going to break you LOL!  NOT!

Once that needle was in there, it didn't shift around, which is important for as the needle has a front and a back!

Well, little chickies, that's it for today!  Happy Quilting!

Isn't this a beautiful scrap quilt!! Mr. RQ bought tickets on it at the Fall Fair on the weekend and I hope I win for two reasons-1. it will look fabulous on the bed and 2. it is made by some really great quilters I know!

The girls from the Elmcity Quilt Guild had a booth at the fair featuring an honest to goodness old-fashion quilting bee!  They even tried their darnedest to put me to work :)...I told them I didn't have my thimble with me but Sandra just pulled out a bunch of them and found one that fit......LOL!

 Remember a week ago I mentioned winning the giveaway on Riel's blog...Here it is!!!! Just sweet and I can't wait to make something with it, hopefully before Oct. 30, 2010. 

And, I have a new bag!! Imagine that...the bag lady making a new bag...I love this bag and it was so easy to make from a pattern by Lazy Girl Designs called the Runaround Bag.  I like the fact that it goes across my body leaving my hands free and is just the right size to hold my wallet and keys and still leaves room for my giant fabric shopping list! LOL!

Let's see...there's charm packs, thread, more bag patterns, Moda's, Thimbleberries, plaid wool, new seam ripper (wore the old one out playing darts)...Ketchup???  what's that doing on there!  NO, no money for ketchup today!  Happy Quilting!

We Now Return...

.....To our regularly scheduled fall weather!  LOL!   I have decided I am just to forget that last week ever happened.....no extreme heat, no hurricane, no sewing, no FUN!  Sounds like a plan, right!

With the return of cooler weather, my energy level has returned and I have been working out straight for several days now.  Check out the little wall hanging I designed and made over the weekend.  The pattern is all written and kits cut for the shop.  For those who have been inquiring about the shop, click on the word shop and it'll take you to the shop's website for all the info.  

A very busy week ahead....girl's night tomorrow night, a Schnibble's to make for the weekend, some quilts to quilt, garden stuff to take care of and that awful stuff they call "housework"! LOL!  Don't know how much time I will have this week for blogging but I will be thinking of you all.  

I have a milestone coming up soon!  I can't believe I will soon be posting my 100th post and that means we have to have a party or something!!!LOL!  I have some ideas in the works so stay tuned.  My baby started college this week and I was worried I would have too much time on my hands!  Yeah, right!  Today, I feel like I need to hire an assistant or maybe a housewife.....Happy Stitching!