A Visit to a Quilt Store

I need to make a small handmade item for a gift exchange in a couple of weeks. At the Sewing & Quilting Expo in Schaumburg IL last week I came across a wallet pattern to sew from quilting cotton. It seemed perfect. So today I visited The Quilted Fox in search of some great fabric. This was a delightful store with 4,000 bolts of fabric. Marsha helped me pick some great fabric. She was very warm and friendly. We chatted a bit; I told her my one and only quilting story (see previous post) and she laughed. I told her that I was strictly a garment sewer and a knitter. She revealed that she used to do both those things also. Now she quilts obsessively. She showed me the quilt you make in their Learn to Piece class and how you learn to machine quilt in another class. I ended up telling her I would definitely give the classes some thought. But even if I decide against taking the classes, I will definitely visit this store again anytime I need great cotton fabric.

Boring!

I was so bored at work today that I left 2-1/2 hours early (I work from home) and headed up to the sewing studio. I am usually a very neat and tidy seamstress but things have gotten out of hand while I have been traveling so much the last month or so. But I pretty much have things all tidied up tonight.

You Can Start Every Monday…

so says Dr. Rosenfeld. Of course, he's talking about making healthy choices in your life, but hey, if it works for health, why not for blogging.

I just returned from the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Schaumburg IL. I worked for my friend Londa @ Londa's Creative Sewing. We had a wonderful time! I love spending time not only with my friend, but all the people you meet and befriend at shows like this. The added bonus for this trip was I stayed with my daughter and son-in-law and four absolutely awesome grandchildren! I was very happy to share when my favorite youngest granddaughter preferred curling up on Londa's lap rather than mine. Londa doesn't have a granddaughter (just a very handsome grandson) so she reveled in all the little girl love.

I found the most awesome brand new vendor at the Expo, Textile Lifestyle. This is a brand new, family-owned business focusing on gift items for all kinds of fiber artists. They have coffee mugs, mouse pads, note pads, note cards, magnets--all kinds of cool gift items to give, or, better yet, buy for yourself! The thing that makes these items so great is the images they use. They are beautiful full color, professionally photographed images from different fiber artist venues, knitting, yarn, sewing, quilting, etc. Take a look. You will fall in love with these items just like I did. I picked up the mouse pad, note cards and a magnet at the show. And I just placed an order for some other things at their website.

I haven't been slacking during the past month. I have been busy knitting and sewing Christmas gifts. Unfortunately I can't reveal them here since some of the gift recipients read this blog. (Thank you, dear children!) I have almost all the gifts completed so I can get back to knitting and sewing for me! (You know, one of my very favorite songs is by Toby Keith, "I Wanna Talk About Me".)