Three Summers in a Row!

 As you could tell from the Fat Quarterly Retreat post I was in the UK with the girl. 

 After the FQ weekend the fun didn't stop there!

 Marguerite took me to the Victoria and Albert Museum for lunch before she head home. 

The girl met me there and soon we were off to Oxford. 

In OX the girl stayed with her friends...

...and I got to stay at Magdalen College!!  View from the room...the River Cherwell and Magdalen Bridge!

 I also stayed with one of the girl's friends and her family but neglected to take a photo! 

Thanks so much Jane and gang!!

 Keeping the fun going was another meet up with my buddies Jo and Mr. D! He was so kind to humor us with a visit to a couple yarn shops and the sneaky Jo left me a little present in my room!

We tromped all around Oxford and Jo pointed out how funny it was that an American was showing them around!:)  Later we met up with the girl and her friends and the most generous and lovely Mr and Mrs treated us to lunch at Turl Street Kitchen!  So yummy! Thanks pals!! xo

 Tuesday we visited The Story Museum so we could see the current exhibit 26 Characters.  I thought it was going to just be photos of 26 famous UK authors dressed as their favorite storybook character but it was much more. Each room is decorated to fit the theme of the storybooks they came from with loads of interaction.  If you get to OX before November go visit....quickly!!

 There is even a talking throne!!:)

(Christ Church's Tom Tower in the background!)

 So many exciting things are happening at The Story Museum. No wonder the girl misses working there!

 View east up High Street from Carfax Tower.  We had gorgeous weather the whole time!

 View from the steps at the Ashmolean Museum.

Took a train ride to Stratford -upon-Avon.  Flowers are everywhere! Alex (in the skirt) used to live and work there so we had a great tour guide.

This is where she worked...the Royal Shakespeare Theatre!:)  

She now works at The Story Museum...still a lucky girl!

 We cruised through the swans on the Avon and had our one an only rain of the trip...a whole five minutes of rain!

 There was a lot of eating....

(Joseph Marcell as King Lear!)

 ....Royal Shakespeare Company production of King Lear in the Bodleian Library Courtyard....

...and ice cream, ice cream, ice cream with most of the roommates the girl had (minus 2) in the 3 1/2 years she lived in Oxford.  Such a wonderful group of friends!

Many other adventures were had but on the day we were to head back home we rushed for one last visit to the V & A...

...I really wanted to see Joey the Horse...the most amazing puppet ever made.  She thinks so too!

Our visit was too brief...but I missed hubby!:)

Thanks for taking me girl! xo

~d

I made a gear...and quilted a waistcoat!

A vest really but it was made for someone in England so we'll call it a waistcoat!

Third finish of third quarter Finish Along 2014....Yeah!!

Mom....can you make a vest for a friend?

Can you quilt it?

Can you put a gear on it?

Can you put a pocket inside?

Can you put a Christmas tree with a star on it like I made for the tree at The Story Museum?

Why yes daughter...yes I can.

Found a gear drawing online.

Did a bit of paper piecing.

 A little basting.

Appliqued a few circles and a gear is made.

 Free pieced a tree and embroidered the star.  Found a pattern and some fabric she approved.

Stitched, appliqued....

Quilted and buttonholed.

 A quilted vest for her friend....creator of The Story Loom...a very Steampunk kinda friend!:)

The girl found the perfect pewter buttons.

It was well received thank heavens!!

~d

ps...I promise the front is quilted with wavy vertical lines. 

No matter how I tried I could not make the quilting show up in a photo!

2nd Finish 3rd Quarter Finish Along....

Gotta be quick...the internet is working for the moment...gotta jump on it while the signal is hot!

Long story short...I made this dress for the girl two October's ago to wear to a wedding....I took a short cut and didn't put in the zipper figuring it would just slip over her head and I just couldn't wrap my head around the directions for the side zipper...even with pattern photos I just wasn't getting it.
 It would not slip over. 

Crap.....out came the scissors and cringing I cut it down the back!  Luckily I had extra fabric and some buttons but it hung forgotten (on purpose) in the closet.  Finish Along to the rescue!!

 Not wanting to deal with interfacings and linings and flanges and buttonholes I put in a zipper.  Not the right kind of zipper since it isn't invisible but....

...the girl loves it...and she can always wear a cardigan to hide it!

Done, done and done!

~d

FQ Retreat 2014....did it really happen?

Three weeks have gone by...we are back from our UK visit...internet is sort of fixed and I have photos so it must have happened!

(Large stack of Siblings Together quilts donated by all the lovely attendees!)

My second lucky chance to attend the FQ retreat was even better than I imagined it would be in my head during the long plane ride by myself!! 

Only doing Saturday classes I was very lucky to be in Thomas Knauer's Modern Knots session.  After we figured out how to draw our grids knotting was a cinch!  Thomas is my kinda guy...he talks with his hands!!

(My unfinished Knots piece and embroidery attempts)

Next class I neglected to take photos as Jo Avery was blowing my mind with the simplicity of embroidering what looks like very hard stitches!!  That's Jo's finished sample...I wanted to sneak it into my bag!! I learned so many useful stitches AND got to hang with my pal Jo. Bonus! Thanks sweetie!!

(photo borrowed from Lynne of Lily's Quilts and  FQ fame!:)

During the break everyone walked around oohing and aahing at all the cool makes.  I was very jealous of Trash's double pears!!:) Thanks for everything Trash...you know what I mean!!;) xo

 Then there was Sample Swapping!  We made 3-5 like items and Trash put us in small groups for swapping.

This was my lovely group and what I received from each person.  I swapped mini Kaffe pouches with a few goodies inside.  Thanks so much Claire, Pippa and Joanne.  So lucky to be in your group!!:)

After lunch was my longest class...all afternoon...which was great because I spent it learning hand piecing and needle turn applique with the amazing Jen Kingwell. My pal Amy Smart (peeking over Sue's shoulder) was in the class too.  Double Bonus! We learned a ton!

We laughed a ton.

 We played a ton!

 Cameras were happy.

Could not believe I was able to see and touch the actual Green Tea and Sweet Beans and

the famous Gypsy Wife quilts in person.  Those I totally couldn't sneak into my bag!

(Jo, Jenny, Sarah and photobombing Trash!)

Sunday morning I was going to visit the Victoria and Albert museum but Jo said come sew with her on the terrace.  OK!!:) It was so nice to be able to spend several hours stitching and enjoying the company.

 Closing comments by the FQ Three were made outside because of a fire alarm at the Baden Powell Conference Center.  Made for much better photos!:)  

Thanks so much the the FQ gang and their helpers Sandy and the Jacks! 

(My buddy Marguerite gave me the fabrics I used for Jen Kingwell's class...thanks pal!!xo)

There it is...a fun filled weekend in London. 

Traveled on an airplane across the ocean alone. Check!

Got on and off the Tube at the right stop alone. Check!

Found the Baden Powell and got the last bed because they didn't have my reservation? Check!

Had the best time learning and chatting with old friends and new ones.....Double Check!!

~d

ps...Trudi...thanks for the last minute FMQ lesson and rubbery pads...I'm working on it!!!!:)

one + one + one= five....and a 1st finish of the 3rd quarter!

In a week the girl and I will be flying over the Atlantic to visit friends in the UK...you know who you are!:) The girl is staying with her friends and I'm bouncing about but it will be fun! Several days I'll be staying in an Oxford University room at Magdalen College where Oscar Wilde and C. S. Lewis did some creating! The other days I'll be staying with one of the girl's pals from The Story Museum...so nice of her to offer up their spare room.  Of course I need to show my gratitude.

 (Thanks for the great benches daddy!xo)

  Angled Frames to the rescue!  Yep, I made them a quilt and it's my first finish from this list of WIPS of the 3rd quarter

 Finish Along 2014! 

 The family has two small boys so I had the best time picking out fabrics.

How about Batman surrounding London...a bit of dinosaur eggs and Star Wars to boot.

There are robots, pirates, The Hulk and Clifford the Big Red Dog, Snoopy, books, pencils, rulers and Alice cards.  Just a bunch of fun for this picnic quilt. Now I need to roll it as small as I can and mush it into my suitcase!  That is number one...

Here is number two, one of the original eight samples tops I made for Round 15 at

 Old Red Barn Quilt Along.

 And here is number three...or rather....

three, four and five!  Yep, I had originally planned to use this fabric for a couple of quilts for my in-laws puppers but thought it would be a great larger sample.  So I made the above top...then cut it up and made three littler quilts.  The third went to the the boy's girlfriend.  All three doggies love their quilts!:)

See...I'm not so bad with math!

~d

It's third quarter time already!

Is it really July already? Yes...it's hot outside and we still don't have our ACs in.  Soon I hope!

In the meantime I managed to finish all...that's right...all of the WIPs I listed last quarter! Yeah!!

I don't know which project was my crowning achievement for the last three months. I love them all.

But I have to say getting that tee shirt mat crocheted was a very happy moment!

So without further dribble here are my hopeful finishes for the third quarter Finish Along 2014. It's not to late to join in the fun cause I'm sure you all have WIPs taking up room everywhere!

Where do I begin?

 Ok...here is a project I've been wanting to make ever since my boss Carly gave me this Moda Slice pack.  I had the print in my stash.  What to do, what to do?

 Blocks made from PB&J.  Tired of seeing them laying in a pile.

 This golden oldie is from....oh my goodness I made this top August 2010!  Yep...about time it comes out of the closet!

 Ugh....the girl is always wanting something for her friends. I really need to get on this one!  

 What a hot mess....hot cause it's hot outside and mess cause it's a huge pile on the floor!

Final hopeful for the third quarter is a dress the girl was going to wear for a wedding....two years ago!

So there you have it.  Don't think I'm crazy....just crazy motivated! 

Want to go see what others are pulling out of their to-do piles...go here and thank Katy!!!

~d