My Favorite Iron For Quilting

I think we all have a favorite iron that we use when quilting.  I have my favorite that I purchased many years ago and I LOVE IT!  It doesn't shut itself off while I am sewing, it doesn't take forever to heat up and it gets nuclear hot!  You can press a seam in no time.  It is always ready when you need it.  The iron also has no holes in the sole plate so you don't make bubbles in your fusible web.  It is a dry iron.  When I was taking my beginning quilting class my instructor always told us to use a try iron for pressing so that we did not distort our seams.

I purchased it at The Vermont Country Store for $29.95.  It is a Continential Platinum Dry Iron model number CP43001.

One of the best tips I can give a new quilter is to have a good, hot iron.  Now to handle the safety issue of the iron not turning itself off I plug a nite light into the same power strip that the iron is plugged into.  If I leave my studio and there is a light on I know I have left the iron plugged in.  Problem solved. 

Happy Quilting,
Shelia

Do You EQ?

Do you use Electric Quilt program? 

A while back I purchased Electric Quilt 7 to use in designing quilts.  I've tried playing around with it at times but became frustrated trying to get the program to do what I wanted.  It does come with a book but I am a tactile learner and would rather do it to learn than just read about it to learn.

I have found some beginning Electric Quilt classes over at Quilt University.  Hopefully this will help me be able to design the way I want to with this program.

I did use the program to plan my Red, White and Blue Bloghop project but I know that I am not using the program like it could be used. 

I've signed up for the EQ7 Sampler class with Fran Gonzalez.  The class starts on July 13th and has four weekly classes.  I'll update with my progress in the class.

If you have never taken a class from quilt university I encourage you to pop on over and check it out.  Here is the link for the site.    Quilt University 

Happy Quilting,
Shelia

104 Degrees!

HOT.....HOT....HOT

It's 104 Degrees here today and it is only 12:12 p.m.!

Good grief charlie brown.......it is definately hot here today.....so what is a girl to do?????  Turn the sprinkler on and stand in the water???   Not this girl....I am going to...........

Quilt!!

Below is my best friend today.....my kitty fan.  She is blowing on me while I quilt on my Red, White and Blue Bloghop project......I can't show you the project just yet but I am also working on Susan's top today and I can show you that.

This is Susan's table cover that she asked me to throw on the longarm when ever I had the chance and since I am quilting with red thread.....patriotic colors it was a great time to throw it into the machine for quilting.  I used the rest of the fabric I bought for my uncle's quilt for the backing of both projects.

There is no way that an air conditioner can keep up with this heat today so my trusty kitty is helping all that she can.  Hope you can keep cool today and get some quilting done.

Tonight it's off to Susan's for bee.  I hope to have this quilt finished and take to her tonight.

Happy quilting,

Shelia

Hot....Hot....Hot

The weather man predicted Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday to be over 100 degrees here........but I think his timing is off!

It's already 100 at 2:46 pm today....I'm done!

Hope you are keeping cool.

Time to move inside and do some hand work to keep cool......maybe one of those gigantic frozen slushies from Sonic would do the trick.

Happy Quilting,
Shelia

Yummy Cupcakes

A special treat at work the other day a new nurse brought these cupcakes in for the staff.  I must say that I did not get to eat one.....braces and all, but the ooh's and ah's from all of the staff was wonderful on a stressful day.  I did get a wonderful sniff of the cupcake though..hehe.  Amanda found the recipe on Pinterest and brought in for everyone to enjoy, I found the website and posted a copy here.  To see all of her recipes go to her website Your Cup Of Cake .  ENJOY!

Salted Caramel PayDay Cupcakes

Yield: 24 Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cake:

1 Box White Cake Mix

1/2 cup oil

1 whole egg

2 egg whites

3/4 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Caramel Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

2-3 cups powdered sugar

Peanuts to decorate (I used salted peanuts)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.

2. Gently combine oil. eggs, egg whites, buttermilk, sour cream and vanilla extract.

3. Sift in cake mix and stir until combined,

4. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until and inserted knife comes out clean.

5. Caramel Frosting: Melt butter in a small saucepan, add brown sugar and heavy cream. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract and let cool. Beat in powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. (If you want, save a little caramel to drizzle over the top of your cupcakes.)

6. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with peanuts and caramel.

Google Recipe View Microformatting by ZipList Recipe Plugin

1.4

Copyright © YourCupofCake

 

Just a few more days until the Red, White and Blue Bloghop starts......excited to see what everyone is doing for their blocks.

 

Happy quilting,

Shelia

Weekend Update

Roger and I had a wonderful day together for our anniversary.  We decided to buy some scratch off lottery tickets for our 23rd anniversary and watch a movie while we scratched them off......kind of weird but who knows.  Most of all we enjoyed just spending some time together with no schedule and list of things that we needed to get done.  Just vegetated together.  Wonderful relaxing day.  We won $615 dollars on that set of tickets!!  Great anniversary gift of fun and cash.

Now on to finish up on Friday.  Remember we did the habitat dedication and then we had bee at my house.  After the dedication we had lunch at Rafferty's.  I was able to find grilled salmon and baked sweet potato that I was able to eat.  Yippie!
Sue

 Susan

Shelia

Mom and Gina

 Now Gina loves her diet pepsi so we made sure she didn't run out during the meal.  Our server brought her 3 diet pepsi's to begin with. 

 When we got to the house sissy-the cat was tuckered out from mowing the lawn..hehe.

 During bee we worked on projects for Sue who is chairman of the boutique at the quilt show this year.  We made zippered bags out of extra fabric I had quilted on the side of things in my longarm.  It's a great way to quilt some extra fat quarters or just small pieces of fabric.  Here's Susan sewing buttons on a bag.

 Gina sewing parts of a quilted book cover.

 Sue was the head master and kept thing cut so everyone had something to work on.  I think we wore her out because everytime she stopped for a breather someone called for something else to sew. 

 Mom was piecing on a 1600 quilt for the silent auction.

 Here is a picture of all of our stash for the few hours we worked.  Not bad for a quick session.  We had lots of fun and lots of laughs.

Off to work now......Happy quilting,
Shelia

Happy 23rd Wedding Anniversary

Today is Roger and my 23rd Wedding Anniversary.  We've had a great time so far spending time together.  It's hard to believe that we have been married 23 years already.  Time sure flies.  It's been an amazing journey together and so blessed to have Roger as my husband.  Now on to the next 52 years or maybe more.......God only knows.

Many blessings....and hope you have some time to quilt today.
Shelia

Habitat House Dedication

Friday Susan, Sue, Gina, Betty (Mom) and myself attended the 300th Habitat for Humanity House dedication in Greenville.  We presented the new homeowner and he two children with beautiful quilts made by our guild members.

Below is Susan in the green shirt beginning the presentation.

Presenting the homeowner and mother her pink and brown quilt which was beautiful.

 Then on to the two year old girl who loved her bright batik, yellow and black quilt.

 Next was her 5 year old son who loved all of the "eye spy" fabrics in his quilt.  He took everyone into his room after the presentations to show them "his quilt".

 As the presentations continued the children laid their quilts out onto the side walk and enjoyed their treasures.  How precious!

 Next is a picture inside the new how with the quilts presented to the family and the mother.  (children are busy eating cake......with the appropriate cake faces to show for it so we opted to have just the mom in the picture).

Thanks to all of the members of Nimble Thimbles Quilt Guild for all of your hard work and dedication to this philanthropy project and for letting us represent the guild at this occasion.

Many blessings,

Shelia

P.S.  We had bee after the dedication........more to come.....off to work now.

Habitat For Humanity Ideas

Tomorrow morning members of our quilt guild will be presenting quilts at another Habitat for Humanity house in Greenville County.  This will be the 300th house in the county.  With each new house dedication our guild presents a quilt to each member of the new home.  Our guild has been doing this philanthropy project for 4 years now and this is our 85th house.....so we as a group have donated a lot of quilts. 

I found this picture on the internet while searching the 1600 quilt pattern.  The quilter added fused alphabet letters to the quilt top and a scrappy square border also.  I think it would be a great pattern for habitat quilts.  It uses the 2-1/2 inch strips that we all seem to collect.  It takes 42 strips for the center and then a few extra for the border.  I will have to figure out how many strips to use.  Love the bright colors in this top.



The Jelly Roll 1600 Quilt is a project that anyone can do to make a quick quilt for a gift or like this for habitat dedication.  Heirloom Creations has a tutorial on their website.  Jelly Roll 1600 Quilt Tutorial .



Today I have been loading the project that I am doing for the Red, White and Blue Bloghop.  Can't show that yet, but I think it turned out great.

My assistant below......you don't need to sit here do you????

 Quilter's confetti....from trimming my blocks today.



Off to work today and hopefully I can quilt of the project tonight.  The bee girls are coming over tomorrow morning so we can go to the habitat house dedication.  Then we plan of sewing all afternoon.

Happy quilting,
Shelia

Spending Time In My Quilting Studio

Today I decided that I needed some time to just chill out in my quilting studio.  I'm working on my block and project for the Red, White & Blue Blog Hop and having lots of fun.  I can't show you what I'm working on yet but I do have a tip for you.

Recently while shopping at the office supply store I found and purchased a wonderful addition to my studio.  Do you ever walk through those isles and see lots of things that are really meant for something else but you know you can use them for quilting?  This is used as a typist stand and I knew that I could use it in my studio.

Of course I purchased a pink one...hehe.  This is a metal stand with decorative cut outs on the edges.

 This view is from the back.

And this is what I am using it for.  When I am gathering supplies for a class or have to cut out pieces for a project I put the list here on this stand.  I can put it at the edge of my cutting mat and I don't keep covering my instructions up with fabric etc.  The two flowers are magnetic and hold your papers to the stand.  I also found the magnetic flowers in one of those $1 bins at the office supply store. 

Now to get back to working on my red, white and blue project.  Hope you find some time today to do what you love.
Happy quilting,
Shelia

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day

Today is a solem day as it is my first Father's Day without my dad.  So today we are remembering those who are with us and those who are not.

Roger's father Howard "Hap" Chandler who passed January 20, 1999.  Father of Reva Jean Chandler Wyatt, Roger Dale Chandler and Rhonda Sue Chandler.  Below is a picture of Hap and Roger's mom Alberta.

My dad Paul E. Adams passed March 20, 2012. Father of Paul E. Adams Jr., and Shelia Darlene Adams Chandler.   Below is a picture of dad and mom on their 50th wedding anniversary.  This was taken on the cruise ship.  Roger and I took them on a cruise for their anniversary.  So glad we did that!

Next is my wonderful husband Roger Dale Chandler.  Father of Roger Chandler Jr., Lynette Evelyn Chandler and Rance Morrell-Edison Chandler.  You are my rock!  I am so lucky to have such a wonderful man.  

Next is Roger Chandler Jr.  Father of Roger Chandler III, Haley Brooke Chandler and Daniel James Chandler.  Thanks for the wonderful gift of grandchildren.

Then our son Rance Chandler father of Brennan Chandler.  Thanks for the gift of grandchildren.

 Then to my brother Paul Adams Jr.  Father of Kelly Diane Adams Perkins.  Thanks for the gift of a wonderful niece Kelly.

Later today I hope to spend some time working on my cathedral window quilt.  Happy Father's Day everyone.
Shelia

Bonnie Hunter's Newest Book

Bonnie Hunter has a new book coming out in a few weeks and I ordered mine and mom's copy today....YIPPIE!  Can't wait to see all of the beautiful quilts she has in this one.   Head on over to Bonnie's blog and you can pre-order your own copy.

It will be time soon to pull out all of those strings and stips you have in your stash and work on some of Bonnie's newest quilts.  Isn't it amazing how fabric that you never would have purchased together or pieced into a quilt together works perfectly fine in a string, scrappy quilt? 

I've been doing some additional drafting with pencil and paper today on my block for the Red, White and Blue blog hop.  I am so excited to be included in this event.  I plan on having a tutorial and a finished project to show.  So I have got to keep working on this.  I have several options and I am having a time deciding which one I like best.  I really like them all!

Monday night we had Anita Bowen as our guest speaker at the quilt guild meeting.  She is a wonderful lady who is a lecturer, teacher in South Carolina.  She always teaches at the Quilter's of South Carolina Quilt Guild Retreat.  Anita did a wonderful trunk show for us.

Each time we have a speaker I try to make sure that I learn at least one great tip form them.  Anita's advice to quilters is the stretch yourself.  Take classes, do guild challenges, do round robins and learn new techniques.  Each thing you do will make you a better quilter in some way and you will have more to pass on to the next generation of quilters.

Here's Anita talking about one of the challenges she participated in.  The challenge was blueberries.  So she made "boo-berries".

 Here is a closer look at "boo-berries".  She made the bowl of berries into halloween jack-o-lanterns.  How cute.

 Anita's husband is a professional cycler and she made this quilt in another challenge which had to represent movement.  Everything in front of the bicycle is stationary and everything behind is curvy and represents movement.  It was awesome.

 This quilt represented her son's bowling shirts.  He went to school on a bowling scholarship.

 Another challenge.....had to represent ships.  Anita's husband hand dyes fabric and most of her quilts contain fabric that he has dyed.

One of the classes that Anita has taught at alot of the state retreats is Galaxy Stars.  It is a beautiful quilt to behold.  I think I would like taking the class someday.

Another great speaker that has been at our guild.  Thanks to our Vice President Susan for booking such wonderful inspiration for us.

Happy Quilting,
Shelia

Cathedral Window Project Progress

Tonight my bee girls and our guys are meeting for dinner prior to having bee.  We going to Pappa's and Beer Mexican Restaurant in Greenville.  I don't know what I will be able to eat there, but you know what.....I think I could take something apart and be able to eat it.  If all else fails I know I can eat rice and refried beans.

Today I am working on my cathedral windows quilt.  I am preparing more panels to add to the quilt (or what I call the mother ship).  Below are some of the sewn and folded squares that I am folding again to ready them for sewing into the larger row.

 Below I have sewn the 14 blocks into another panel to add to the quilt.  I'll take this panel with me tonight to the bee.  I should be able to applique in most of these squares tonight.  This section has 19 windows to sew down.  I just love the bright windows.  Just a few more of these panels to complete and this quilt will be finished.  My goal is to have this quilt in our Quilt Show in October.  So I have 15 weeks to get this thing done.  But I am on a mission to be finished!

The summer rains are bringing more beautiful flowers in my yard.  This is my fuschia gladiola.  Isn't it gorgeous!



Have a great day and get some stitches into some fabric today.
Shelia

Papa's Estate Finished

Today I delivered the final check to heirs for my grandfather's estate.  WHAT AN AWESOME FEELING to get that off my to do list.  Many thanks to my cousin Teresa for all of her help during this long process.  I promised my dad on his death bed that I would make sure that this got done......Daddy it is done!

Tonight is my quilt guild meeting.  Great speaker, Anita Bowen from our Quilter's of South Carolina Guild will be doing a program.  Looking forward to seeing all of my bee girls.

Hope you have a great day quilting,
Shelia

More Progess.

Yesterday I completed my ACLS re-certification.  So many changes from American Heart Association.  After 25 years of certifications it's hard to change your brain, but did great and finished.  Even the CPR basic checkoff went o.k. even with the braces, mouth still tender......but kept the "dummy" alive..hehe.

I was finally able to give Jason his quilt last night.  He was really touched.  His dad was very special to me.  And yes I know we are holding it size ways but I am short and he is tall......so there!

I'm working in the ER today so probably won't get any quilting done today.  It's always a long day and I won't be back home until around 8 p.m.  Tomorrow we are scheduled to close on papa's home sale.....YIPPIE!  After all of the craziness I will be so GLAD to get this done and off of my list.  I couldn't have gotten this done without the help of my cousin Teresa.  Thanks a million girl for all of the help and for just listening to me scream during this process.  We are almost done.

Hope that you find some time today to put a few stitches into something you are working on.

Shelia