Machine Quilting, Tutorials, Quilts of Valor, and A Lot of Quilts!
I finally had a chance to break out the orange - that is a PERFECT color for june... we are heating up!
We had two stores to hit in Longmont (1 hour away) and 1 in Estes Park - so we thought we would make that a loop. Storms started to roll in, so that was as good a time as any to get shopping....
First was the Presser Foot -
I had never been to this store - but it was wonderful. The ladies were so nice and they had a wide selection of fabrics!! they also had a TON of machine things. Longarm rulers and books too.
I hve been Long Arm quilting for 23 years now ( oh boy!!) so it was fun to look at the new rulers and books that I had not seen. I think you tend to get the stuff you need when you start - and learn to make that work for you. I did find a fun Layer cake to follow me home tho!!
then we went just a tad south to Maggies - I had been in there a LONG LONG time ago - I'm thinking like 12 years ago ? I went with a friend to drop her machine off for repairs - and lookeee at the cute Fat Quarters:
That dog one reminds me of Daisy when she realizes I might have chips in my possessions and maybe she could have one!
From there we headed to Estes Park. Oh my favorite mountain town - and can you believe I had never been in that fabric store? Peak to Peak !!! My new best friends....
If you are into wilderness, wildlife, mountain out of doors - this is the store for you!! I got this panel - and K says it must be in a quilt by winter.... oh the pressure.... the stress...
now if you go to Estes you must stop by the Taffy Store - the original Taffy Store - its the best!
My oldest sons Birthday is this month so we sent him Taffy online from them, and he called as we were heading up and said - you HAVE to try the Cherry. of course, that was a special of the day when I had ordered his - so it wasn't available the day we were there.... they had LIME... OMG - LIME - it is awesome!!!
I want it all....
then we had to head down the mountain to go do chores....
But I have THREE more shops to go!!
A while back Lisa S, in one of my QOV groups - asked *Who wants to do a Mystery?*
I thought - sure - but there was a catch!!She wouldn't post the next step until at least half of us had it done... and I thought Oh Heck!! I had to get moving - I didn't want to hold the whole group up.
The pressure worked! Got the top done - and just got it in to quilt!!!
isn't that fun? She had said to do scrappy - but I had scrap large pieces - so I used that - and I like how it turned out! the Patter designer is Lisa Sutherland - You might have seen some of her patterns and she has a book out Patriotic M&M&M Quilts
Whoop whoop - glad to have another one done!!!
How are you all coming on your finishes? I had a goal - I wrote it down, now I can't fid the paper - so I am going tohave to search!!
My husband.... he is a peach - truly - he's pretty up for anything and can always make things fun. When he heard the shop hop was taking us east he started researching places to fish. We don't normally go east to fish - we normally go up to the mountains.
and since we had the girls - we wanted to find a fishing/hiking place....
so!!! after Holyoke - we headed to North Sterling reservoir.
its kind of hilly and open and has a few bluffs - and a HUGE body of water. There were campsites and day sites... so K got his fishing stuff out and off we went:
see the fishing pole holder - they weren't so good at posing with it - i think they prefer quilts. Also - they had to be on leash - we have those extended leashes so it always looks like they are tight - they are not.
Isn't this so well maintained? we had an awesome hiking trail, and K could peel off towards the water... we only stayed a few hours as I had one more store to hit on this loop - and we had to get home to do chores.
when we got ready to head out - Bella decided she would prefer the front seat. She lost the battle - K needed to navigate!!
One of you mentioned that your dogs were not socialized. Well - neither our ours really - we live alone, and kind of remote - so this was a great trip for them. We kept the e-collars on as a behavior backup when we weren't in the car, and they were always leashed. I did not take them in the quilt shops - we took turns sitting with them.
Bella wants to hug everyone, and she saw a tall boy at one of the stops and about went nuts thinking it was her boy ( my youngest son)
Next up was Inspirations Quilt shop in Ft Morgan!!
the last time I had been to this shop it was a cute one on main street ( this was the largest of towns on this leg of the hop at 12000 population) but!!!
Since I had been there they moved - to HUGE place - they had 3 longarms set up and a class space and batiks.... crazy amounts of batiks..
You know that is not where I headed tho:
are you sensing a theme in my last purchases????? haha!
this is the Shop Hop quilt - at each store you get a block pattern - the three stores out east you got two block patterns - i really like this one!!!
So we have 6 store left to do before Sunday - I think we have a plan to get to them - and a hay sale, and an implement store haha
I just loved the stripey of the hearts and the stripey of the panel and so...
I went for it!!
After taking its photo - I have decided to add a 3 inch white strip to the top and the bottom - that will round it out to 62 x 80 ! Perfect QOV size!!
if you are looking for the hearts - head over to MMM quilts they are called glowing hearts and she has the pattern there.
We also did day two of our Shop Hop - K and I went east!!! to Julesburg to MDQ Designs. Julesburg is not really a destination town - its a part of the Pony express - so historical - but I am not sure what else is there. Now I don't need to worry - MDQ Designs was worth the drive!
we stopped there for lunch and let the girls play in the park a bit:
The backs of these quilts look so cool!!!
Don't they just give so much to these? I really love the way they llook!!!
My friend rescued this retro panel - the cats are so cute. So she cut them all up and added the sashing. Its a great quilt . ( and the front as promised in the title)
Happy Monday Morning!! I had a little accident over the weekend and broke my pinky nail - not like just a broken nail - like I broke it in the middle of the nail where its still attached ( I hit a saddle horn hard) and its making typing awkward!!!
I had fun tho - so its all good!
I found this Eagle Panel and I want to use it for a QOV - i had these blocks that our sew group made - so I thought about framing it . The more I look at it though - its not making my heart happy.
I had a thought!! I am making the hearts from MMMQuilts glowing Hearts QAL - what if????
and I like it - I think the stripes on the panel and the stripes in the hearts appeal to me - so this is the new direction I am going with the hearts!
and the last stop for the day was On Pins and Needles in Brighton. Another lovely shop , everyone was so friendly and helped my find some cool things - this was my favorite Strip package that followed me home!!
I got a finish!!! whoop Whoop!!! However when I went outside to get the photos - the storms and the wind started up. I have trained my dogs so well - that neither of them would sit on it to hold it down. ( it was WINDEEEEE)
This is the best one of the bunch - and even on concrete - I couldn't keep it from blowing away!
The log cabins were made by all of our Quilters - I put the top together and!! are you sitting down for this?? I quilted it ( well that you probably knew ) BUT!!!! I BOUND IT! oh yes I did!!!! I was so proud!!
And I am sure you are dying for a Baby Colt Update right?
and it came on JUNE 3rd - Just like I predicted... I WON!!!
Well Merry Mare won - she got that thing delivered!!!
if you came for the quilts - come back Friday - sorry - I was so ecstatic yesterday I am not sure I know what happened!
Now I will get back to quilts... maybe - did I tell you he is SOOOOO cute!!!
BTW - this is Reno's full brother... have I shown you my handsome Reno lately? 😍😍
if i have just say Ohh and Awwww - it will get you on my good side haha!!
