Sally Said Sew

About a month ago, I had the pleasure of traveling two hours each way to attend the Minnesota Quilters' Show and Conference in St. Cloud. Two hours? Each way? Are you nuts, Sally? Uh, yep. But if you were able to see those gorgeous quilts, you would do it, too. The show had a juried section, a non-juried section and another section with various groupings. Plus they had rows and rows of vendors selling fabrics, quilting supplies, and machines. I only had my cell phone with me so many of the photos I took didn't turn out. I will share some of the ones that did. Under each photo, I will share what was written on the information card for the quilt. Juried Quilts This was one of my favorites. The details were simply amazing! Look closely. "Breaking Wind" by Peggy Kragnes - Felton, Minnesota Pieced by Peggy Kragnes, Quilted by Peggy Kragnes. Not necessarily a Sunbonnet Sue fan, the idea for this quilt was born during a sleepless night. I enjoyed every aspect o...

Sometimes you come across a quilt kit or piece of fabric that you know will be perfect for someone. That happened to me not too long ago in my "home away from home" quilt shop in Perham, Minnesota. I went into Bay Window Quilt Shop looking for something else but no sooner had I walked in the door when I passed by a new display of fabrics from Shelly Comiskey for Henry Glass Fabrics called Bee Happy . They had a couple of quilt kits cut and ready to go with an accompanying free pattern. It caught my attention and I thought of Heather, my friend and owner of The Quilting Hive in Twisp, WA. She always has a bee-themed fabric in the shop but I hadn't seen this line on my last visit. I bought the kit and enough fabric for backing and set to work on the quilt. It was going to be a gift for her. Using my inexpensive Brother machine in my hotel room, I was able to assemble the quilt top in no time. Then using the same machine (which was a bit more challenging), I quilted the ...

I have spent almost the last six months working out of state, far away from home, in wintery Minnesota. My living quarters have been an extended stay suite in a hotel. Over the past months, I have gotten to know the staff quite well at the hotel. As a gesture of thanks, I made up some pot holders to give to them. Just a small token of appreciation for all they have done for me, like helping me when I was too sick to fly home or leaving me little notes upon my arrival, or the Easter basket waiting for me when I arrived the evening of Easter Sunday. The ladies have become my family-away-from-home. I found two great patterns online - one a round pot holder and the other a square version that I modified to make larger. These are self binding so no need to make binding and sew it on. I am pleased with how they turned out. I really like the fabric from Moda's Keep it Sassy collection by Olive Sandwiches . The blue fabric is not from this line and I forgot to keep a selvedge with th...

I am not letting living in a hotel keep me from my quilting. Nosiree! Because I do leave the hotel and go home for a couple of days every other week, I needed a lightweight machine to lug back and forth. No, I don't take it home with me, but I do leave it at the office for safekeeping on the days I am gone. I ended up buying another Brother machine since my primary machine at home is a Brother. This way I can use the same bobbins and feet on both machines. This newest Brother will eventually come home with me and I will use it to go to Open Sew and classes at my local quilt shop. In the meantime, I am busy working on my Christmas projects while in Minnesota. Luckily for me, my suite has a nice long counter-top that is perfect for setting up my machine and having work space to boot. Redneck Quilting - Hotel Style! I've got plenty of work space Having a sewing machine sure makes hotel life much easier to bear.