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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.

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

Randomness…..

renegadequilter1 Comment
lots of random things in this post. sort of how my life has been lately – very random. got back from our mini quilt retreat in McCall (love that place) & i unloaded all of my bags and my project box in to the sewing cave & it sort of just stayed there. its amazing how that works – in my dreamworld everything would have been magically put away the next time i went down there. didn’t happen……
since my BFF is coming into town this weekend to sew i have been working at getting the above mess cleaned up & ready for 2 people to sew in. to some this might not be a mess however i am very TYPE A so its a mess to me. also, this is only my sewing, cutting and ironing area. my fabric & projects are kept in 2 other areas. lucky girl with a whole basement to myself for sewing.
i have also been working on Christmas gifts. yes its that time of year again…. this is all i can show because you never know who might be looking here…..

since Shelly is coming into town this weekend i needed to get the guest room cleaned up a bit or should i say the bed uncovered. the bed in the guest room is where i tend to pile my quilts that i have either just finished, am not using at the moment or not sure what i am going to be doing with them. i took them off of the bed & stacked them up. crud 11 quilts… & that’s just in the bedroom. there are 6 more in the living room, 3 more in my bedroom & 2 more in the spare room in the basement. i have 11 tops needing quilted. i have never really stopped to count or to think about how many quilts i have made or am in the process of making. from there i start thinking about all of the ones i have given away. a little over whelming so i think i will stop thinking about it now.

saving the best for last.
this is my latest crave that started at the 1st quilt camp. a requirement of quilt camp is that you bring a snack to share with the group. so me checking out the snack table put the above combo together & now i can’t get enough of it. its super YUMMY!!!!! give it a try.
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this weekend will be fun sewing & hanging out with Shelly. it seems like forever since we have spent any length of time together. i hope to finish my hexi QA top & a lot of other little things that need to get marked off my to do list.
wish me luck!

BOM · http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · projects · quilt alongs · quilt camp · renegades

When It Rains

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why is it when it rains it pours? that has been my life for the past few weeks. a couple quilt camps, an eye infection that required a few trips to the doc out of town, people on vacation from work, just life in general has been busier then normal for me – that’s why i haven’t been here blogging. but, today is your lucky day & i am here with pics from quilt camp this past weekend.
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there were only 4 of us the aka Renegades & we headed to my aunt & uncle’s place in McCall, ID which is about 2 1/2 hrs from here. this is an annual trip for our group as its one of our members birthday. this week i received a thank you card from her with this on the front of it – a perfect depiction of our little group!
pic of the lake at McCall. its an awesome little resort town in the mountains.

pic of my aunt & uncle’s place that we stayed at.

so, for actual sewing that i got done at this camp…. at the last camp i did some quilting so at this camp i bound what i quilted at that camp & then i decided to quilt some more.

out of the 5 quilts above i quilted 2 of them in McCall the other 3 at the last camp and got the binding done on all of them in McCall. a couple of theses quilts are gifts – 1 for a little person & 1 for a dear friend who is recovering from back surgery.

this quilt i started about 1 1/2 yrs ago & got the top finished about 6 or 8 months ago. i quilted it in McCall with the advice and help of Denise the ‘quilting master’. i love how it turned out – i gave it to my mom for her birthday & she loves it. its her 1st Christmas quilt from me.

i love that the tassels on the hats are felted wool.

Fat Quarter Shop Mystery Designer BOM finally all done.

i pieced this at the last quilt camp & got it all finished in McCall

something i spent 1 1/2 days on but i can’t show it all just yet.

giant pincushions from Julie’s pattern. i actually filled them with crushed walnut shells – that was fun & they turned out way different then filling them with doll beads and stuffing.

did a block for my monthly block swap.
hope you like it Kitty.

got 5 rows of my hexi QA quilt put together – this is very time consuming but i am loving how its coming along.

life is starting to get back to normal for me – whatever normal is. i plan on spending sometime this weekend in the sewing cave maybe finishing up the hexi quilt & moving on to some Christmas gifts.

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

Camp Update 1

renegadequilter1 Comment
just a few pics from the 1st couple of days of camp. we all have been working on a variety of different projects.
Sharon’s clover shaped baby quilt
my charm pack QA top is finished.

Lynette has been doing some embroidery with her machine.

Denise quilted this wall hanging.

i have quilted these 3 quilts.

we are all having a great time & getting lots done.
check back for more updates.

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

Still Dancin…. On To Camp

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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
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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!

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

A Week From Now

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a week from now i will in the middle of quilt camp with 9 of my quilting friends. since Labor Day weekend i have continued to get stuff ready for quilt camp. last night i put all of my projects together & i am pretty sure i am taking way to much for myself to get done….. however its always better to have to much then not enough.
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i leave tomorrow at o’dark 30 for Chicago for final 2 DMB shows – i am excited because i have never been to Chicago but also a little sad knowing i won’t see the band again until 2012. we get back home Sunday morning & i will finish packing for camp because we leave Wednesday for that.
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check back here on Sunday. i am working on a post to show you my camp projects.
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also, you should go check out Julie’s blog she is having a great give away with Robert Kaufman.
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!!!!

http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · me · quilt alongs

What a week….

renegadequilter2 Comments
what a week i have had……………
8 days ago we had an electrical issue at work which took out a computer, our internet server as well as our main server. our computer guy was called in & he took our server to rebuild it. got that done & re-loaded the data which we tested to make sure we didn’t loose anything & finally got us all back up & running today.
as some of you know when your system goes down you panic – which i did.
when i panic i have to stay busy with simple tasks that require little brain function and sewing isn’t one of them. i spent a lot of time in my yard doing stuff so i thought i would share a couple pics that i took.
i am a lover of sunflowers & have a ton of them in my garden – just happened to catch a shot with a bee in the middle of this one.
a bowl full of cherry tomatos from my garden. i have 4 cherry tomato plants & the people i work with love them.

i did do some quilting (non-sewing) stuff last week.
i laid out my hexi quilt & counted up how many setting triangles i would need. i then took some pics just in case i mess up the layout when i go to sew it together.
i then bagged up each row & labeled them so they are ready for me at camp.


i also worked on my Charm Pack QA blocks.
i got them all laid out & ready to sew as well.


now that things are back to normal for me at work i might get some sewing done in the evenings & maybe this weekend.
Tuesday we head to Boise for the 1st DMB show then home for a day then onto the Gorge for 3 more shows. i will wrap the concert adventure up in Chicago on the 17th & 18th of September then its onto a 5 day quilt camp on the 22nd.
the days are getting shorter & the nights are getting cooler.
summer is coming to a close & fall will be here before we know it.
i hope everyone has had a great summer & you are looking forward to the fall as much as i am.

BOM · http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · quilt alongs

Odds & Ends

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i finished up the last block for the Jelly Roll Quilt Along that i have been doing.

here are all of the blocks. i have the finishing instructions but it might not get put together till camp.

i also made the 3rd block in the Fat Quarter Shops Designer Mystery BOM.

as well as another block for the Star Sampler Quilt Along that I am doing. i think this block #9.

i cut some backs for quilts that need to be quilted as well as did some hand work. i started prepping projects for quilt camp…. i think this is gonna take awhile.
i hope you all have a good weekend & a even better week!