Very little to show

How does more than a week slip by with so little time spent stitching? It is never my plan, but we all know what happens with even the best laid plans!

I have completed most of the ditch stitching on my version of the Primitive Gatherings 10th Anniversary SAL from a year ago (was it just a year?).
Mine ended sooner than most. I realized it would be too large to hang in any of the spots I have to hang quilts if I added all of the rows. 
I'm still formulating the quilting designs, but it is coming together in my mind.

Finished up my project from the class with Stacy of Buttermilk Basin.

 Not sure what I am going to do with it, but it was a fun project to make.

 This little pile of scraps is all that remains of a small bundle I received recently from another blogger. A swap is in the offing. Mine is pieced and now needs to be basted for quilting and binding. All will be revealed soon.
In the meantime, have you ever studied the fibers of your fabric up close and personal?

That is as much of it as I will share for now. : )

 When I take down holiday decor my dining room table is the staging area. I gather everything from around the house and then start packing it all away. As I was doing so I remembered that I had posted a photo at this time last year as the red/white/blue all came down. It seemed to me that there was so much more this year--and I was right.

2015

2016

I did kind of get carried away there in the red/white/blue fabrics for a time, didn't I?
 
I guess that is all for now. Maybe next time I will have made some amazing progress on a project or two, but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you!

Until next time, 
Janet O.
 

Stitchin' with Stacy at My Girlfriend's

Had a great time on Monday of this week in class with Stacy West of Buttermilk Basin. I had a couple of days with her back in January of 2015, which you can read about here. It was very fun to  spend another day with this amazing designer.
These are the classroom samples of the project we made.

The one on the left was made by a store employee and the one on the right is Stacy's sample.

Look at some of the wonderful things she has designed recently--these were newly introduced at Quilt Market this past Spring. (You can click on photos to enlarge them.)

This all went down at My Girlfriend's Quilt Shoppe in Logan, UT. We met in what they affectionately call "The Attic", but it really is a wonderful class space on the upper level of the building. Here is shop owner Kris Thurgood introducing Stacy. (Or is this Stacy introducing Kris?)

As Kris told us would happen, she quickly became everyone's BFF.

 And she held our attention as she demonstrated her techniques for working with wool.

Once we got going, we worked at our own speed and Stacy would move from table to table demonstrating the next steps, answering questions, and keeping us laughing.

Stacy's gift for designing is something she feels compelled to share, and we reap the rewards.
She is as genuine and real as they come.




After a few hours of "hard work", we moved to the bottom level of this 3 level shop and were treated to a catered lunch.

 Then it was back to work. Boy, they are such slave drivers here! : )

In the evening there was a trunk show, where we were treated to more of Stacy's stories, and the stories behind many of her designs. I will only show a handful of my favorites up close.

There was a sweet story of how this one came to be.

Though I don't do much embroidery, this one caught my attention.

Loved this, but have no place in my home to hang something this size.

This was very fun.

 
































Of course, we finished up with time to shop--and shop we did! 

 
I wasn't going to buy kits--I have so much wool at home, but these two small holiday kits leapt into my arms. Funny how they do that.









I made good progress on our class project. Everything here is fused and stitched down. Still needs berries on the wreath, the black background, the "Joy" banner, and the backing.









This fun pincushion went home with Stacy, a gift from the shop--in honor of her vintage truck series of patterns.

Shop owner, Kris, and her cute daughter, were among the many people that pulled this off. The employees worked tirelessly to see that our needs were met--from having all of the supplies and tools we needed, to making sure there was an endless supply of snacks.  I've said it before--they really know how to throw a party.

My Girlfriend's Quilt Shoppe has events at least once a month. Meg Hawkey of Crab-apple Hill is coming in September. You can find out more here, if you are interested. There were women from at least four western states in the class I attended.

My vintage truck is almost completed. Still needs the banner, backing, and stitching around the edge.

Shouldn't take too long to finish this up--that is one of the things I love about wool projects.
Until next time, 
Janet O.

Stitchin' with Stacy--and having a blast!

I spent last Friday and Saturday with Miss Stacy from Buttermilk Basin, at the Village Dry Goods Winter Retreat. This is the third year I have attended and it has been fun to become acquainted with Lisa Bongean, Pam Buda, and now Stacy West. It was a 3 day event this year, but I only did the last two days. This was our project on Friday (this one is Stacy's, but mine is almost finished).

 It was designed to be a picnic basket cover, but I think I may make a wall hanging with mine.

 

Stacy demonstrated the necessary techniques and stitches, and introduced us to my favorite  new fusing product, Soft Fuse. I don't think I will be so hesitant to start prepping new wool projects now that I have learned about this.

This is the room full of stitchers Stacy managed with her easy-going, fun-loving style, and we did have a good time. The Village Dry Goods gals made sure we had plenty of peanut M&Ms, pretzels and Swedish Fish on each table to fuel our creative activity.

 We came away with near-finished pieces and good memories.

Friday evening was the dinner/trunk show at the event center of a local restaurant.

Good food and company.

Lots of fun--you should have seen Cindy (in the middle) dance as she helped display Stacy's little quilts.

And plenty of inspiration. I'm wondering now why I didn't buy that pattern on the right.

If you haven't already noticed, Stacy's pattern niche is small, prim-style, monthly themed designs.

One of the shop owners brought a cute little granddaughter helper.

So many tempting monthly pinkeep and candle mat designs.

I want to try and show you a year's worth of her banners. Blogger doesn't cooperate when I load this many photos, so I won't even try to put them in order. I think you can figure it out. You can click to enlarge any of them if you want to.

  

 These banners finish at just under 8x15"--a lovely size for hanging on a door or in a little space that needs brightening.

Here is our project on my second day.

Just some stitching on the black edge, buttons and a few decorative stitches and I can make mine into a pillow like Stacy's.

On the left Jamie is stitching her beautiful heart (love her wool), and across the table Stacy is helping someone with their project from the first day (which I didn't attend).

Everyone who attended the dinner/trunk show received a pattern with some of the wool needed to make it.
My friend, Kim, made time to start hers. It is one of the banners shown above, and it is so cute.

To the right, one of the shop owners (RoLayne) is trying to share her box of Peeps. She actually likes them, so it was very thoughtful of her. I passed. : )

 Stacy has so many wonderful patterns. Shall we talk about how many came home with me? Maybe not. We did receive some as gifts, and I won a couple in the crazy game we played each day, but I also did my part in emptying my wallet. If you'd like to check out her patterns click here. You can click on each of the categories on that page to see all of the patterns in each collection. And rumor has it that Miss Stacy will be sending some patterns to be given away on this blog, so stay tuned.

If you are still with me, you have earned a nap--or chocolate--or both. : )
Until next time,
Janet O.