Let The Countdown Begin.....8 days until we leave!

MY SLOGAN ABOVE

I am always excited when someone decides that they would like to try the art of quilting. The word "art" is one that I would not relate to me if I were to think about it. I don't truly think of myself as an artist. But standing back and listening as people look at and discuss a quilt of yours makes you believe that you have in some small way affected their life. When you look at it that way, I guess I do create art.

I am so excited that there are only 8 days left until we leave for the International Machine Quilter's Showcase in Overland Park, Kansas. "Dorothy, we're heading to OZ". I keep looking over the class descriptions that I have chosen and am more excited each day. I hope to bring home a lot of new knowledge, that with practice, I will be able to continue to improve and expand my quilting horizon. I always believe that if you are not learning....you are not growing.

Congratulations to Tim Tebow for being drafted to the Denver Bronchos!! Guess I will now add Denver Bronchos to my Gator girl list.

Happy Quilting,

Shelia

14 Days and counting

Only 14 more days until we leave on our trip. Can't wait. We purchased a Garmin GPS for the car. Roger has been wanting one, so we thought this trip would be a great time to have the GPS. Now while driving we can see what attractions/museums etc are near our location. What a novel idea hugh.

Now I must start deciding what to pack for the 12 days we will be on the road. That is a lot of outfits and shoes. Although I know I will mainly be wearing my z-coils while at the show and doing all the walking there. If you've never seen z-coils check out the site.

They have cured my plantar fascitiis. I've been wearing them for nursing for 4 years now and man what a difference in your feet, knees and hips. LOVE LOVE LOVE them. I know they are not the prettiest things in the world, but I can still walk and boy does it feel better. I recommend them to all my patients who have knee, back and ankle pain. http://www.z-coil.com/ check them out. I plan on getting a pair of the sandles this summer.

Better get busy and plan our driving route.

Hope you have a great day.

Shelia

I'm Back........Where has time gone?

Everyone has been fussing at me about not writing on my blog for so long. It was not my intent to get so far behind. I can't believe it is already the middle of April. Time really does fly as you get older.

I'll try to catch you up on where we are.

First--The Garage is completed. Roger is finishing a few pieces of siding on the back of the garage and done!

Second- Mom and I took a Log Cabin class with Flavin Glover. She is a wonderful teacher and does beautiful quilts. We had a great time and enjoyed spending the day with many of our quilting buddies from the guild. Check out some of her work at http://www.flavinglover.com/ .

Third--I turned 50............yahoo! Can't believe that I am actually 50 years old. I am very blessed to have wonderful friends and family members in my life. I am double blessed to have such a wonderful husband who is sneaky and planned a surpise birthday party for me.

90 people showed up at our house on the Saturday after my birthday. Roger cooked hot dogs, hamburgers and all the trimmings. He even ordered a birthday cake which was decorated like a quilt. What a honey he is. I was very surprised with everyone who came to share in that special day with us. I don't know how he pulled it off.

I'll share pictures later.....when I figure out how to link to the album.

We had a blast at the party. One of the attendees was a friend who I hadn't seen since my wedding shower 21 years ago. My quilt bee girls were here, neighbors, family members, daughters of the nile ladies, Shrine friends and co-workers. I couldn't believe the people who just kept showing up. I don't know how he pulled this off.......unless I have some very sneaky friends and family.

My bee friend Susan sent quilt block squares for everyone to sign. What a wonderful gift. I have enjoyed reading everything that people have written and can't wait to put the quilt together. I plan on using the baby picture that Roger had on the signature table in the quilt also.

For my present, as if the party wasn't enough for him to do, Roger is giving me a trip to the IMQA (International Machine Quilters Association) show in Overland Park, Kansas. We are leaving on May 6th and will return May 17th. I will be taking a total of 14 classes at the international show. I am sooooooooo excited. I have wanted to go to one of these shows forever and now we are going. Only 18 more days until we leave.

The classes I am taking include beginning longarm, background techniques, troubleshooting the longarm, whimsical funky feathers, exploding texture, a class for those of us who quilt for ourselves and not necessarily as a business, solving tension headaches, how to keep your quilts square as you move it though the longarm machine, pantograph quilting, getting creative with gridwork, brillant bindings, tips, tricks and tools of the trade, borders, sashings and meanerings, using specialty threads, stunnings sashings. We also will be attending the banquet where Kaye England will be the keynote speaker. What a wonderful quilter she is.

Oh and I forgot to mention the over 200 vendors!! I'm working some extra nursing shifts to make some extra spending money for this trip.

Friday Mom and I went to see the Foothills Piecemaker's Quilt Show here in Greenville. We had a wonderful day together. We worked on our secret sister blocks for the guild and then the bee girls came over Friday night for some fun. We laughed and sewed until almost midnight.

Guess that is all I can think of for now. Hope you have a wonderful weekend and great week ahead.

Many Blessings from a very blessed woman,
Shelia

Catching Up

Today has been a wonderful day. I've been able to spend it with my wonderful husband Roger. We've watched a movie, got our tax papers to the CPA, had lunch out and now I'm quilting in my studio while Roger is working in his garage. Life is blessed.

I'm working on my Bee Challenge piece. I got the background blocks pieced and cut out the freezer paper pieces for the rest of the flowers. Now to get them glued to the fabric pieces. I can't wait until I can start appliqueing them to the background blocks.

I have truly enjoyed working on this project. Parts I've done in my studio and other parts I've been able to do while watching TV with my honey.

We received a lot of ice and snow on Friday & Saturday. Pretty, but not when you have to get out and go to work in this stuff. Roger drove me to the ER Saturday and came back to pick me up. You would have thought people would have stayed in and off the roads, but oh no, everyone had to make a trip to the ER for NON-Emergency stuff!! Oh well, what can you say. Here's a picture of my garden bench with the ice on it, kinda a pretty picture.

The ice has started to melt today from our snow/ice storm this weekend. My goal is to blog more often this year, so hopefully it won't be as long until my next post.

Happy Quilting,

Shelia

Rough Weekend

I've been caring for many patients over the past few weeks who have had a gastrointestional bug, luckily I had been fine..........until Saturday when the dreaded bug caught up with me.
Needless to say it has been a yucky weekend. Most of it has been a blurr since taking anti-nausea medication makes me soooooo sleepy, but I guess that has it's advantages also.
Today has been some better, just still some cramping and diarrhea. Hope it has run it's course by tomorrow. Work calls you know.
No quilting done this weekend. Looking forward to next weekend.
Many blessings,
Shelia

Working on My Bee Challenge

I have a few hours this morning to work on my Bee Challenge. I have gotten the leaves made for the applique flowers.

I used some 2 1/2 inch strips and some varigated width of fabric that I had in my stash. (I knew that shaded fabric would come in handy someday).

The green lying under the container with leaves in it is the shaded piece of green. The width of fabric goes from light green to dark green. A great stash fabric for doing applique.

Now to work on some of the flowers. I've cut out the pieces for 6 flowers and I am thinking about the red fabric that the leaves are lying on as one shade of the flower. Some of the strips lying in the top photo are some of the other colors I plan to use to shade the flower petals.

As you can see there are some TINY pieces to this flower!! I've done hand applique before but this method of hand applique by machine is different for me. Now to look through my stash for some more values of pink, red and burgundy fabric to use. Not sure yet what other color flowers I'm going to make.

Better get back to work.

Happy Quilting,

Shelia