Retractable Scissor Keeps

Three posts in as many weeks!  Can you believe it?  Not like me at all, but I got mail today and I'm pretty excited.  My Janome (have I mentioned lately how much I love, love, love my Janome?) came with it's own table, but there isn't anyplace to put 'things', so I started wearing my scissors on a lanyard.  Well, it works great, except whenever I get up, or lean over to manhandle manipulate the quilt through the machine throat, it bangs and clangs, and every once in a while catches on things. But that has been better than leaning over and picking them up off the floor over and over again.

I was watching a video by Amy Johnson and she was wearing a retractable badge reel for her scissors.  Hmmm, I said to myself, Crafty Daughter makes those for her friends and colleagues, and even has a few for sale in her Etsy shop.  She offers free shipping to US residents!

So, I had her send me one.  Ummmm, it's ingenious!

Her Etsy shop is located at GardeniaDrive, and I know she has more!  You should pop over and take a peek.  She started selling bra strap wraps for FitBits a couple of years ago and has expanded a little. She had asked me to come up with something for her because she hated wearing them in that plastic band on her wrist.  She loved what I did so much, she said, "We should sell these!"  They've sold themselves, and I struggle to keep them in stock.

She has also made up some vinyl decals for me, which I love, because one of my favorite things to do is send random happy mail.

However, the cost of postage is sometimes prohibitive. These decals can be slipped into the mail for only the cost of a postage stamp!  (ooh, ooh, ooh, the FitBit Strap Wraps only take one postage stamp, too! I'm going to declare myself the Queen of Low Postage!)

She's offering a 10% discount on these decals if you use the coupon code:  FYF10, and shipping is free in the US.

Linda (Scrapmaster) giving a class.

While there is a shipping cost for international orders, you can buy more than one for the same shipping as one, so that's not too bad a deal.

~

I've already confessed to not being a domestic diva. Truth be told, I'm pretty pathetic in the kitchen, too.  ~sigh~  So, when I find a recipe that even I can make, even I find very versatile, I have to share.  Creamy Spinach and Sausage Pasta is a one skillet meal that we really enjoy, and I don't even mind excusing myself from my sewing machine to prepare.  I think I shared this recipe before, but it's worth repeating!

It doesn't take very long, at all, and I know I'm not the only one who would rather be sewing than preparing meals!

~

Last but not least, on the quilty front, I have one share.  It has winged it's way across the continent and has been received, so I can show it now.

It's just a little zippered pouch using a stitchery from Red Brolly. I combined the instructions from a couple of different pouch tutorials that I found on Pinterest and made it to my own dimensions.  It was fun and easy, and I see a few more in my future!  Makes a great gifty, is flat and inexpensive to slip into the mail.  My favorite thing!

Well, that's all for today, but that was quite a lot for me!  I hope you can enjoy your day doing whatever makes you happiest!  I have to go grocery shopping.  :(

~karen

Domestic Diva? Hardly!

At some point during my early morning sewing binge, 

it occurred to me that sewing on a domestic machine isn't exactly 

'being domestic', 

so I decided to bite the bullet and threw not one, 

but two, loads of laundry into the washing machine.  

Then I felt smug because I could sew while the washer did all the work!  

I don't have a dryer, though, so I did have to stop long enough 

to hang everything out on the clothesline to dry.

And yes, to bring them in to fold and put away.

(Truthfully?  I piled them onto a chair 

in the corner of my bedroom for later.)

I have spent the better part 

of my spring/summer playing, 

whipping up blocks and patterns

that I've wanted to try

but haven't taken the time.

When a former student announced

her wedding date,

I took the opportunity to try

the pineapple block

that's been circulating.
It made a great wedding gift.

This is the only picture I took

before I slipped it into the mail,

but while it was (quite literally) hanging around

waiting to be finished,

I couldn't stop looking at it!
Depending on the time of day,
it never looked the same.

I love it.

I always like to have a "to go" project,
and in 2015, I was inspired by
Julie's Quilts and Costume's RSC Challenge project.
She was inspired by
a quilt called "True Colors"  in Nancy Mahoney's book,
Simple Curves and Quick Curves.





I collected several B/W, W/B print fat quarters,
hit up my scrap basket,
and got to work.

When it was time to return to the states for the winter,
I packed mine up and stored it away.
Fast forward to the following spring.
I had lost my mojo for this project,
declared my pile of appliqued circles as finished,
worked up a layout,
sewed it into rows,
and stored it away for another winter.

When I sewed the rows together this past spring,
I wanted it just a little larger,
so a quilting blogger friend suggested I use a white border
and quilt ghost blocks in black,
then bind it in black.

Thinking this was a grand idea,
I got to work.
Thankfully, I was trying out a new-to-me marking pen,
one that fades with time,

because quilting circles with black thread on white fabric

isn't for the faint of heart.

Having a nice bold line to follow surely helps.

I can highly recommend this pen,

but don't mark ahead of time, then leave it for later.

It fades more quickly than the directions 

lead you to believe.

Hope you are enjoying your summer days

as much as I have been!

~karen

PS - If you visited my previous post about our NSQBQ Round Robin adventure,

but you didn't have time to check in with the other girls (I didn't post pictures of their quilts), here's a quick snapshot of us all together!

Round Robin Exchange

Five years ago, 

4 Nova Scotia quilt bloggers' worlds collided
(try to say THAT 3 times fast!)

and a very special bond was formed.

Last fall, when this small but mighty group met 

for the last time before winter, 

we discussed our third annual challenge, 

and decided that a round robin might be fun.  

So, we set up a schedule that wouldn't be stressful and got to work.

Sheila certainly doesn't look like she spent the morning
preparing the most amazing and delicious luncheon!

We chose to keep each quilty piece a secret
from the original contributor, 

and after a very long, 

too long wait,

due to unforeseen circumstances, 

we finally met up and made our exchange.

Lesley and Linda can't get over the detail on Lesley's quilt.

Sheila, of Sheila's Quilt World, hosted us in her lovely home, 

since she is located half way between 

Lesley (The Cuddle Quilter) and me
(or is it 'I'?  I'm never sure),

and Linda, Scrapmaster.
Linda's daughter, Niki, joined the party
and was such a big help behind the camera.

Linda's all excited and she hasn't even opened her quilt up, yet!

Last but not least,
mine!

Upside down, right side up, it all looks beautiful to me!

Inspiration for my 12" sq. center block

came from designer Sharon Tucker

American Patchwork and Quilting, June 2015

Round 2 was cleverly constructed by Sheila,

who also took her inspiration from this photo,

but substituted hexie flowers for the appliqued flowers shown,
embroidered a vine, and appliqued leaves.
She does such lovely handwork.

Round 3, by Lesley,

captures the whole essence of the quilt top,
don't you think?  It's up on my design wall, now,
and I just can't stop looking at it!

and Linda's Round 4

ingeniously links back to the center block
and pulls it all together.
She didn't repeat any fabrics in these Raspberry Kiss Blocks.
I think it's the perfect final round, and so Linda!

Here's one more look at the whole quilt.

The four of us, dubbed the Nova Scotia Quilt Bloggers Quartet,

(NSQBQ)

will be presenting a quilt show

at the 10th annual Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival

in Amherst, Nova Scotia

from October 10th - 14th.

Our goal is to have them quilted up and ready for display by then.
I can't wait to see them all completely finished!

Now, I just know you are chomping at the bit
to see the other three quilts.
I hope the few pictures I shared were just enough of a tease
to encourage you to pop over to their blogs for more!
They have written up such delightful posts.

Here are their links again to make it easy:

Linda
Sheila
& Lesley

Thanks for popping in!
It's a beautiful morning here in Cape Breton.
Hope you're enjoying much of the same!

~karen