Category: friends

BOM · charity · friends · http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · me

Showing My Cards

renegadequilter7 Comments
i am showing my cards in this post.

my blog sub-title says ‘ from fabric to finish and everything in between’. this is the in between part with a little fabric thrown in. although sewing, fabric & quilting is usually fun & happy stuff truth be told we all have a life. a life in the real world that gets yucky sometimes. i am just like the rest of you. i don’t live in a land of rainbows & cotton candy i live in reality & i don’t want my readers to think otherwise.

this past week has been one of the roughest weeks i have had in a long time. work has been crazy. we have been short handed. customer’s want stuff 2 days ago & somehow their poor planning is our fault. battling suppliers over stuff that shouldn’t be an issue. it seems like it has been a constant struggle all week. in dealing with this stuff my normal work is not getting done which adds to the problem. not to mention that my health has taken a downward turn during this process as well.

my health + stress = bad things

on top of that you throw in some disappointment whether it be in myself or others & you have the makings of a rough week.

its times like these that i have those conversations with myself in my head. you know the ones. “come on you can make it through this” “you are stronger then you think” “its just a bad day tomorrow will be better” “you are never dealt more then you can handle” yep. i have had them all. did they help? who knows. all that i know is that its FRIDAY & this week is about over which i am very grateful for.

when things are not going the right direction for me i do my best to find the silver lining that is always there. yesterday i got an email that brought tears to my eyes & a smile to my face. my SIL sent a pic of my nieces which was priceless. totally made me realize that even though there is crap going on i still have a wonderful family that is full of love. i will share the pic at some point in the future for now i just want to treasure it.

another great silver lining from this week was this.

my friend Sharon gave me this fabric. yes i said gave. her husband dropped it off at my work & it was during a time that i was elbow deep in something & didn’t get to thank him. Sharon was going through some fabric, came across this & realized she didn’t have a need for it anymore. i told her i would be interested because i know someone who likes that sort of thing & i could make them a quilt. so, thank you to Sharon for being a silver lining in my week.

when things get crazy for me & i get off of center i turn to things i know to bring me back. my two of my favorite things are music & sewing. so, yes itunes is playing as i am typing this & DMB is assisting in the re-centering process.

this is some of the sewing that has taken place this past week. block #11 from the Fat Quarter Shop’s Mystery BOM. i also put together a bee block as well. i don’t want to show that until she has gotten it.

another thing i have been working on is organizing my scraps. yes you read that right. crazy as it sounds my scraps have been driving me nuts. they have been residing in this large tote for sometime now. when i go looking for something you can imagine the mess it makes. that is what brought about this organization project. i have began by sorting them into piles of color range. if i come across something that is 5″ or wider & the full WOF then that goes into a separate pile. fat quarters into a separate pile as well. this is my progress so far. i am surprised at my stack of reds. i am planning on getting through it this weekend. i have a couple ideas on storage so check back to see how that goes.

last but not least this morning i received another silver lining. i told you about the challenge that my friend Sarah over at Confessions of A Fabric Addict issued to all of us quilters. Sarah posted this morning that she had 48 people sign up. that means 48 quilts will be made & taken to Romania. me being me signed up to do 2. my 1st partner is local. my friend Barb is joining in the fun & we will be exchanging our fabric on Monday. huge Thank You to Barb for taking on the challenge. my 2nd partner is Larissa from Australia. yep, Sarah went international with this challenge. the response to this challenge puts a HUGE smile on my face.

i hope that you all had a survivable week & that an amazing weekend is ahead for each one of you.

remember “make the best of what’s around”
Dave · family · friends · http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · me · quilt camp · renegades · Sisters

A year of travels

renegadequilter2 Comments
it has been a year of travel for me.
January 2010 took me to Washington DC
there i got to see Colin Powell speak.
do a little sight seeing.

& see Natalie Cole perform.

then the end of January was a trip to McCall for sewing & a mini trip to Boise to see my niece.

in March i went to a quilt camp at Palouse Divide Lodge – no pic of that.
in April i went back to Boise for more time with my niece.
also in April I went to St. Louis for work – no pic of that either.
in May it was the trip of a lifetime – all expenses paid – to the island of St. John in the US Virgin Islands.

on that trip we also sailed to Jost Van Dyke which is a British Virgin Island.
June was a month filled with doctors apts & several trips to Spokane.

in July a group of us headed to Sisters, OR for the Outdoor Quilt show.
i also went to Houston in July for work – no pics.
i was home the whole month of August except for the last few days when i made a quick trip to Boise to see DMB with my brother & SIL.
September kicked off with spending Labor Day weekend at the Gorge seeing DMB with Steph.

mid September i took a quick trip to Chicago to see DMB at Wrigley.

the end of September brought another quilt camp at Palouse Divide Lodge.

in October i went back to McCall with the Renegade’s for another quilt camp.

in November it was back to Palouse Divide Lodge for yet another quilt camp.
December was a trip to Seattle to see Dave & Tim as well as a quick weekend trip to Boise to see my family there – no pics of that trip.
********
looking back over 2010 i realize just how much i got to see & do & i am so grateful for the opportunities that my life brought me this past year.
i don’t expect to be traveling as much in 2011 however right out of the gate in January i am headed to Dallas for work. March will bring a trip to Boise to welcome my new niece. July we will head to Sister’s again. August to California for work. & i am hoping for some quilt camps scattered in there somewhere through out the year.
********
up next
‘A year of projects’

friends · http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · NaBloPoMo

My tickets…..

renegadequilter2 Comments
my tickets for the Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds shows in Seattle were delivered by the FedEx gal today. so, 2 weeks from tonight i will be in downtown Seattle with 2,900 other fans attending an amazing concert & not just Monday’s concert but i have tickets to Tuesday’s as well.

it will be a great time hanging out with my BFF & her little guy as well as doing some shopping quilt stores or otherwise. needless to say i feel very blessed to have gotten tickets for both shows & i think its a great way to kick off the Christmas season. as i have shared in this post here all of the money from the tickets sales is being donated to various charities that are picked by us the concert-goers. Dave has fronted the cost for everything else.

i also realized as i started this post that this is my 100th post. Wow!!!!

i think i will have to do a give-away of some sort here in the next few days. i am coming out of my quilt camp hang over…… however i have a lot to do between now & Christmas so its off to the sewing cave for me.

friends · http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · NaBloPoMo

CONFIRMED

renegadequilter1 Comment
Confirmed
to me right now there is no better word.
my fav Dave Matthews & his buddy Tim Reynolds are playing 2 nights in Seattle & i got confirmed for both nights. tickets don’t go on sale to the public until tomorrow but because i am a total dork & a member of the fan club we got an early shot at the tickets. i am crazy surprised that i got tickets for 1 night let alone to both nights. they are playing in McCaw Hall which holds roughly 2,900 people. by far the smallest venue i will have seen Dave in. both shows will be benefit concerts with us the concert-goers picking the charity that we would like our money to go to. leave it to Dave to come up with a great way to support numerous causes.
so, December 6th & 7th i will be in Seattle with my BFF Shelly for our 1st Dave show together – ever – hard to believe right????
November has been off to a rough start for me but this news, this silver lining makes me think that things are going to start turning around for me. at the end of these shows i will have seen Dave 8 times this year – a record for me but since he is not touring next year i think its totally worth it. i know, i know some may think i am crazy, insane, whacked out of my mind, but i don’t care. this is what makes me happy.
are you doing what makes you happy?
remember
Life Is Short But Sweet For Certain
ps-there is a great giveaway going on over at everyday beautiful’s blog – go check it out!!!!
BOM · family · friends · http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · quilt alongs

The Ups & Downs of Life

renegadequilter3 Comments
the last week or so has been very sad with the passing of some people who had touched our lives & we are left wondering why. anytime someone leaves the face of the earth expectantly i always turn inward and re-examine my life & my purpose for being here. i tend to stop & notice the simpler things more – from the moon on a clear night to the local high school football game going on down the road. i realize just how truly blessed i am to be living the life i have & i thank the Big Man upstairs everyday for that & the people in my life. taking time to pause & be grateful for what we have should be a daily occurrence for each of us.
*******
i was very grateful that this past weekend my BFF Shelly got to come to my house for a weekend of sewing & hanging out. Shelly missed our quilt camp so this was sort of a make up mini camp for us.
i got the above quilt quilted which had been prepped and ready for ummmm 3 months or so. i put the binding on it last night but no pic of that.

i made my bee block for Sue in my Bee Splendid group. these were something that i had never done before & it took me a bit to get it all figured out but once i did i really enjoyed making them.

i hope Sue likes them.

i also got the next block in the Fat Quarter Shop’s Mystery Designer BOM done.

the other HUGE item on my weekend to do list was to finish my Hexi QA quilt that i did from Julie’s website Jaybird Quilts. i had laid it out a couple months ago & cut all of the setting triangles. thank goodness i was smart enough to take a few pictures before i picked up all of the rows and labeled them. i ended up going back & looking at the pics to confirm a couple of the block placements.

so once i got the main center of the quilt together i decided that it needed something extra. the 1st thing i did was add a navy boarder & then i used a honeybun in Neptune to add a 1″ square pieced boarder around that & then finished it off with another navy boarder.

i am pretty much in LOVE with this quilt. if you have been reading my blog for awhile you know that i like to set blocks in darker fabric & this is my 1st quilt that i have done in navy. i loved doing the quilt along that Julie taught. it was easy to follow & yet it challenged me & i learned new things as we went along.

the next big question. how to quilt it???
i will quilt it myself & i have a few ideas but this is one of those quilts that will sit for awhile until i am 100% sure about what to do. i am sure you all have had those quilts & then one day it hits you & you know ‘yep’ that’s how i am suppose to quilt it.
*******
i am challenging myself to sewing every night this week. so i am signing off to head to the sewing cave to maybe start on a new bag for myself.
*******
happy sewing to you all.
PS – we find out Thursday if my SIL is having a boy or a girl. once we know let the sewing begin for the upcoming addition to the family.

friends · http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · quilt camp

Still Dancin…. On To Camp

renegadequilterLeave a comment
this past weekend i was in Chicago to see my 5th & 6th Dave Matthews Band concerts of the summer. we flew out Friday morning & back in Sunday morning…. yes a quick trip, but it was well worth it. seeing DMB wrap up their summer tour at Wrigley Field was amazing. both nights were sold out so with 40,000 plus fans the energy was incredible & the band was defiantly feeling it both nights.
Dave himself was in rare form with his ‘davespeak’, dancing & story telling. someone online said this was a ‘milestone’ show for them & i would have to agree. i have been seeing DMB in concert since 1997 & these shows will be standouts for me as two of my favorites. some people think i am crazy with my passion for this band but as a fellow fan said to me last year in Vegas at a show “i can either spend money on therapy or i can go see DMB & get the same affect”. i could not have said it better myself – nothing brings me back to center better then this band. even though DMB is not touring in 2011 i will still be dancing to their music in anticipation for 2012.
WE RETURN NOW TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM
********
i leave tomorrow for quilt camp with 9 friends. i have been prepping & packing like a mad women & i think i am about ready to go. for camp i like to have everything bagged up by project, so below is a couple of pics of some of my projects i am taking to camp. i have a variety of things to work on like, bags, bee blocks, boms, pj pants, pillowcases, quilts to finish up & new quilts to start.

i am even taking quilts along to quilt & bind. i have them basted & ready to go. i roll them on an old batting tube for transportation purposes. that way when i get there i just unroll & they are ready to go.

with almost 5 days at camp i hope to get a lot done.
wish me luck!

friends · http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · quilt camp · weekend wrap up

4 Shows Down

renegadequilter1 Comment
4 out of the past 7 days i have attended a Dave Matthews Band concert. 1st in Boise, ID then i spent the weekend at the Gorge in Washington for 3 shows. for those that have never been its an amazing venue with the Columbia River as your backdrop.
this was the 5th year for my friend Steph & i to make the annual trek to the Gorge & the 1st year for us to take in all 3 shows. with the band taking a year off in 2011 we figured that this was a must. although, Steph did say if by chance the band or Dave pops up somewhere next year she will fly to see them. i am holding you to it Steph!!!!

we met people from Rhode Island who flew in for the weekend as well as people from Buffalo, NY. the Gorge has such a draw for DMB fans from all over the place. we also met a couple who’s friends have a 5 yr old boy who got to meet Dave this past weekend through the Make A Wish Foundation.

you might be thinking 3 concerts in a row – crazy!!! the crazy thing is that DMB didn’t repeat 1 song the whole weekend – each night it was a different setlist with a total of 60 songs for all 3 shows.


Saturday & Sunday night fans were even lighting fireworks off in the parking lot after the shows.


i did a lot of traveling this past week but i also did some hand sewing as well. i finished block 3 for my Quilters Journey quilt.


& i started block 4 for it.

i am home for 10 days then its off to Chicago & Wrigley field for the final 2 DMB shows. while i am home i will be getting things ready for quilt camp and resting up for the next trip.
i hope you all had an amazing labor day weekend!

friends · http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · projects · quilt alongs · quilt camp · weekend wrap up

Sew It Begins…..

renegadequilter1 Comment
i am back at it again with an engine full of steam. i ended up working most of Saturday so Sunday was devoted to sewing and sewing related stuff. 1st on the list was my Limes quilt – i want to take it to the Gorge with me this coming weekend for Friday nights show becuz we have lawn tickets. at 11 Sunday morning this quilt wasn’t basted or anything – i decided to spray baste it becuz that was going to be the quickest – next i had to figure out where to do this at.
i had a light bulb moment!
at work we have this HUGE table that use to be used for making draperies & i knew it would be perfect for this – so off to work i went….
this quilt is roughly 57″x72″ so as you can see the table is HUGE & the ceilings are so tall that i can stand up on the table. LOVE it. now i know where i will be doing my spray basting at from now on.
on to the quilting – i got it all quilted in a simple straight line pattern & i was shocked at how quickly it went. its amazing how helpful the right space & set up can be. if its wrong then you are always fighting the quilt but with this one it was a dream.
i then put the binding on & threw it in the wash.

i think its pretty snappy looking but then again i am a major green freak. so it will take its 1st of many journeys with me this Friday to the Gorge at George, WA where i will take in my 2nd DMB show for the week (1st is tomorrow night in Boise) with a great friend of mine Stephanie.

this will be our 5th year of heading to the Gorge to see DMB & i couldn’t think of another person i would rather do it with. Steph is one of those people that when you meet them you feel like you have won the lottery. we have been through thick & thin & the best part is – is that she gets me & all of my quirks & still wants to be my friend.
she is ACES!!!! love ya girl!!!!

This is my pile of stuff for quilt camp.

which i will continue to add to in the coming weeks with every spare minute that i can find.

this past weekend i also go my blocks together for Karrie’s Charm Pack Quilt Along. Karrie posted the final step on Sunday morning & so i have the blocks together & the 1st boarder cut. this might be added to the pile above & finished at quilt camp.

the fabrics on the bottom are the 3 boarders inside to outside – left to right.

the next thing i will be cutting up for quilt camp is this yummy pile.

Verna – i have a way cool pattern for this that involves sewing curves & thanks to Julie’s video tutorial they will be a breeze with the right foot.
go watch the tutorial – its totally worth it.

tomorrow at o’dark 30 my mom & i drive to Boise. me for the DMB show with my brother & sil and my mom to babysit my niece. we will be back on the road home Wednesday morning. its roughly a 5 1/2 hr drive each way so i am taking some hand work.

i have 2 1/2 buttons on this block to finish & then its on to block 4. i know i am slow with this (i have only had it for 2 yrs) but its getting done. more will get done during the days this weekend at the Gorge.

so it begins,
6 shows, 20 days, 5,000 plus miles
then a 5 day quilt camp
what more could i ask for?????
i feel very blessed for being able to do this.

i will post when i can as well as prep for camp when i can.
enjoy your week!!!!