Sunday, June 28, 2009

Quilt class rebel

I belong to this big guild that only meets four times a year. The class in October is the Orion Star. The quilt shop owner here is giving the class. She wants everybody to purchase a $200.00 kit to take the class. But, the colors are UGLY. Or at least I think so. So I told her I would take the class but I want pink, yellow and orange. She said she would see if she could pull the fabric off the shelf in those colors. The off the shelf kit would include the backing fabric but it would still be $200. But. But. Even if I had to buy all the fat quarters at 2.50 that's still only 70 bucks and I know I can get quality backing fabric for a really reasonable price.





So, that means she's charging each person at least a $100 bucks for a class fee. I don't know about you all but that seems pretty excessive to me. Especially considering I took two classes from a national quilt teacher in April for $60 total for both classes. And this class is a sew on this line, cut on that line, remove paper class.



She called me back the other day because her store is never open and you have to call and make an appointment to shop there. When I called I didn't get an answer and I'm not driving all the way over there if she's not going to be there. So, when she called me back I told her I had taken a look at the fabric in my stash and I would rather make the quilt from my fabric stash and for her to figure out how much to charge me for the pattern and the Thangles and a class charge. She said she thought she could do that. I'm not paying more than 40 bucks. I don't mind people making a profit but I think she's gouging people.



Then two days later at the other guild meeting she totally ignored me.




I pulled these from my stash. I need one more orange. I have a couple I can still choose from if I can't find one that goes in this range better. The fabric they're sitting on will be the main border and there's an orange and a pink that I have enough of for an inner border and the binding. I *know* she doesn't have near the selection in these colors in her store that I have right in my own stash.

Monday, June 22, 2009

scraps happen

And happen and happen and happen. I've got a three drawer cart crammed full of scraps. That's the biggest problem, it's crammed. Just any old way.


So my next project is to dump it all out and at least sort by color. That way when I look for the perfect yellow to make a sunflower I don't have to dig thru all three drawers! And then I'll quit just stuffing the scraps in there.


While I sort I'll cut 5 inch and 4 inch squares for a scrap quilt for a great niece. I make a square in a square block and they're sashed in black. I have one started for a great niece and then she had a baby sister so now I need two of them. These two will be #7 & #8 of these quilts I've made. Everybody keeps having girls. The one in the pic isn't as pink as the first few I made. I'll make sure I get more pink, yellow, orange and purple in the next two.




Oh and I have the August "Year in a Snap" block done finally! I may go ahead and get the rest of the blocks done before I quilt them since I have a month and a half to go before I need to have the August block ready to hang. Plus that gives me time to go thru the scrap bins. That way I can find what I'm looking for for the next 4 blocks.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Do something with this shirt!!

This is the wall hanging I made for my father in law. My mother in law said "do something with this shirt and I'll pay you for it." It took me a while to figure out something to do with it but once I did it didn't take long to make the wall hanging. I'm really happy with the way it came out.






Friday, June 5, 2009

SAD

No, I'm not unhappy. That's Seasonal Affective Disorder. Most people think of winter depression when they hear the term SAD. A small percentage of the population suffers from summer SAD. Summer SAD is insomnia due to too much sunlight. I just read about a study they did in some northern latitude countries on suicide rates. They go UP in the summer. It's all that midnight sun that keeps people awake.

I've come to think of it as nap season. I really can't take drugs for the most part, I'm either waaaaaaay too sensitive or allergic to everything for that. I can at least nap during the day when the light level stays the same. If I can go to sleep in the afternoon then I can take a half decent nap. My room is very dark even during the day so that helps some.

Needless to say I don't get as much done during the couple of months of nap season. The worst is from about the end of May until the middle of August or so.

I live for fall.