Quilting in the Heart of Summer

July 30, 2016 by Candy Fullaway · Leave a Comment (Edit)

Here we are in the heart of summer.  I think it’s my favorite part of the year.  The veggies and flowers are at their most beautiful and I even have a tomato ripening up.  I think this is the earliest one I’ve ever had.

 

I posted this picture last week of a pile of fabric that I found inspiring.

So here’s what I have so far.  Not all of it is sewn together, but I’m liking how it’s turning out.

I’m not sure if I should be proud or embarrassed that it all came out of my stash.  I wouldn’t have believed it ten years ago, but my stash contains plenty of purple.  I’d like to think I’ve just learned the value of purple as opposed to being an older woman.  I was warned and should have seen it coming.

The Pink Lemonade quilt is going on sale for the month.  I like it because it’s easy, summery (I hope that’s an actual word) and it’s easy to alter the size without changing the look of the quilt.  I’m thinking I might try it again in a different color way and put in a layer of flannel instead of batting.  It should be just enough to ward off the chill of air-conditioning without roasting you out.

Stay cool and quilt for fun.

Candy

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Notes From Home

July 22, 2016 by Candy Fullaway · Leave a Comment (Edit)

I find I often ask where the time goes.  I didn’t have a lot on the calendar this week, so I thought I’d get a lot of quilting done.  I also thought maybe if I kept track of what I actually did, it would help me become more organized.  I wrote myself some little notes on a calendar.  Sadly, I not only wrote on next week’s pages, but half the stuff I wrote, I can’t read.

I did, however, come to a few conclusions.  Going the grocery store every day is not all that efficient.  I know people who make menus for the week and shop all at once.  I may have to give that a shot.  Explaining to an 80 pound poodle why I don’t want him to pee on the new hydrangeas might be an exercise in futility.  It turns out he really doesn’t care, listens to the nice music in his head and gives me one of these.

There’s always a load to throw in the washer, some weeds to be pulled, pots to be watered and veggies to be picked (3 cucumbers and a yellow squash to be exact).

Apparently, the trick is to just do it and get back to the sewing machine as opposed to reading a new quilting catalog or trying to figure out if the avocado I bought last week is too far gone to make guac.  I’ll be working on that.

Then there is the unexpected.  Who knew I would have to go collect Sweet Husband after a trip to the dentist wound up being a bit of oral surgery and I needed to go pick up his slightly anesthetized self.  And what are all these people doing on the freeway at one in the afternoon?  Not to mention the fact that Google Maps sent me to the wrong address.  These are the things that the best laid plans cannot factor in.  Buck up, Sweetie, that’s life.  BTW, Sweet Husband is fine.  We went to pick up his car this morning and on the way home I stopped at Joann’s for a new pin cushion, and Starbuck’s, and what are all these people doing on the freeway at 10 in the morning?  I think you see my problem.

Through all this nonsense, I actually did some quilting stuff.  I finished quilting this Hawaiian quilt that was a Pacific Rim pattern.  It’s hand appliquéd and machine quilted.  It’s been worked on here and there for a few years and all it needs is binding.

Also worked on Calendula Patterdrip’s Cottage.  It’s a Crab-Apple Hill pattern that I saw made up in a quilt shop in Bend, OR four or five years ago. It’s quite large and hand embroidered.  I probably should have started with something smaller, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel now and I’m excited to finish it.

I’ve just picked these fabrics for a fall quilt pattern.  I didn’t used to like purple, but I love it now mixed in with fall colors.

Reading this post over, I now realize that I need someone to do my errands, do the wash, water the plants and treat the dogs (also, keep Toby out of the hydrangeas).  Also, I could use some help staying on task.  If you know anyone who will work for fabric, let me know.

Quilt for fun.

Candy

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One of Those Days

May 19, 2016 by Candy Fullaway · Leave a Comment (Edit)

Today is one of those restless days.  You know the kind. (Right? I’m not the only one?) It started out sunny, but now, the clouds have rolled in and at first glance, it seems to be snowing outside.  Since it’s in the low 70’s, it’s really just cottonwood trees doing their thing, causing allergies to flare and screens to get clogged up.  Ella’s allergic to cottonwood and is not amused.  I did a bit of this and a bit of that, but nothing that made me feel like I’ve accomplished much.

I finished a Quilt of Valor top yesterday (yay!), and now I need to figure out a back so I can start quilting.  Didn’t do that today.

I finished a little practice piece with paintstiks so now I’m only two weeks behind in my online class.

I have sixty 6-inch blocks for my small quilt group project.  I’ve been playing with arrangements on Electric Quilt 7 for a chunk of the afternoon and maybe I have a clue how I want to do this. Or not.

It’s now late afternoon and I’m thawing some hamburger although I have no idea how I’m going to make it into dinner.  Yes, THAT kind of a day.

You may now relax as the whining portion of this blog is over.

I finished the quilt I finally named “Nameless in Green.”  I painted my idea first, which is a new direction for me.  I like watercolors even though they’re pretty challenging sometimes.

Then I gave it a shot with fabric.

It’s more intense than I planned, but now I know better what I’m aiming for. Maybe a subtler fabric that doesn’t jump up and head slap me.

I am catching up in my Paintstiks class.  Here’s my latest:

This is actually a lot of fun.  Messy, but fun.  I definitely want to make something out of this piece.  It’s pretty small, so maybe a bag.

The good news is that if I live to be 110, I’ll never run out of stuff to do.  There’s no bad news.  Good to know.

Quilt for fun.

Candy

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May I Have More Minutes, Please?

April 27, 2016 by Candy Fullaway · Leave a Comment (Edit)

It is possible that I have more stuff on my list than can be accomplished before 2030.  I’m working to finish some UFOs, always a noble project.  Unrealistic, but noble.  I’ve finished three projects in the last couple of months and am sorry to report that it hasn’t made as big a dent in the UFO pile as I’d hoped. This is the latest to be finished.  It’s called Sea Goddesses.   This was Laurel Burch fabric from a few years back that I just had to have.

Also, I’m working on a Quilt of Valor.  I love red, white and blue quilts and I like this way of giving back.

In addition to the above, I’m taking an online class with Shelly Stokes called “Totally Textured.”  Shelly’s done some really fabulous quilts with Paintstiks and rubbing plates and I’m having fun learning a new technique.  Here’s an exercise from Lesson 2:

I have a new quilt in my head that I’m hoping is as easy and effective as I think it will be.  I have all the fabric I need for it, so I’ll jump into that soon.  Really.  I need to get it out of my head and onto the sewing machine.

Speaking of the sewing machine . . . Have you ever put in a new needle, tightened the set screw and had the needle fall out?  At first I thought I was doing something wrong.  But since I’ve been installing sewing machine needles for almost 50 years, I’m pretty sure I’ve got that part.  Turns out I wore out something and the machine is in the shop.  Luckily for me, Barbara has a machine just like it and it lives at my house.  With her permission, I moved it into my space and I continue to sew.

April is a really nutty weather month here.  It was well into the 80’s early last week.  Today it’s 58.  That’s actually not a bad temperature, but I’m planning to work in the yard in a couple of days when it warms up a bit.  I bought these babies today for a blank spot in the back yard, and yes, they were still in the trunk when I took this picture.

                                                                                                                Empty Spot

 

Hydrangeas

I’ll let them get used to being outside for a couple of days before I plant them.  I planted some other hydrangeas a couple of years ago that have thrived through some tough times, so  I have high hopes for these.

I can’t actually complain about the weather.  It’s a bit dreary but not severe.  Sending good thoughts to those enduring baseball sized hail and tornadoes.   Can’t even imagine!

Keep quilting.

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Finally Back

Finally Back

April 5, 2016 by Candy Fullaway · Leave a Comment (Edit)

I started this blog about three weeks ago, went to visit my mom before I finished it, and here we are.  So let’s just do both March and today.

March 16

It looks like it’s going to rain . . . again.  So far the whole month has been stormy, rainy, foggy and for a few brief moments, sunny.  I caught a couple of sunny minutes earlier this afternoon.  Thank heaven for pansies – they hang in as long as we don’t have lots of freezing weather and brighten even the grayest day.  And the tulips, which started coming up at the end of January are beginning to bloom.  The front lawn is beautifully green, though the back is ready to be declared a swamp.   I’m actually longing for a day dry enough to pull weeds.  This is high level cabin fever.

 

I’m at that point where I have a bunch of new ideas, but absolutely MUST finish a few things before I start anything new. One project will (I hope) get finished tonight.  Then I’ll finish one more thing before I start something new.  I’ll take the time to hang up spring quilts even if outside doesn’t look all that springy.

I always want to quilt tulips at this time of year.   We lived in Holland for a couple of years in the ’80’s.  This time of year the tulip fields are simply stunning.  After a long, cold winter, seeing all that fabulous color is just wonderful.  Now we get a taste of that in the Northern Willamette Valley where tulips are grown commercially and the fields of riotous color brighten up even the soggiest spring.  I probably have enough tulip quilts, but perhaps there’s room for one more.

There are patterns for both “Singing Tulips”, above, and “Tulip Fields,” below.  Just go to our shopping page.

April 15

And I’m back.  I should’ve just posted the short bit above at the time as things got busy and then it was April.  The March weather didn’t improve much until the very end and suddenly spring came, the grass grew and some weeds took hold.  I’m tired of my winter clothes and never want to see them again.  So, basically, it’s a normal early April.

It’s official – the UFO’s are out of hand.  I’m spending some time attacking the pile and deciding what to finish and what to set free.  So far, I’ve finished one UFO, quilted another and only have the binding to do and am quilting a third.  I also have an idea dancing around in my head that will make a good pattern and I’m excited to start it.

The other thing I’m starting is a six week online course with Shelly Stokes on using Paintstiks on fabric.  I’ve used them a couple of times over the years, but having them just hanging around while I’m not sure just what I want to do with them is silly.  So when I got the opportunity to learn from a pro, I decided to just jump in.  I’ll post pictures once I get going.

I love spring, but as you might have guessed, I’m not really into pastels.  Why I think spring things should be pastel, I’m not quite sure.  I look out the window at tulips and forsythia and daffodils and the colors are pretty bright.  Spring Sampler is about as pastel as I get and it’s not exactly a wallflower.

It will be on special on our shopping page until mid May.

We took a short road trip with Toby and Ella.  They’re actually pretty well behaved although Ella likes to take her half out of the middle of the back seat.  Also, she rarely sleeps during the car portion of the trip.  Apparently she doesn’t want to miss anything.

Toby, on the other hand, settles in for a nap as soon as we hit the freeway so he can be full of energy when we get to Nana’s.

Over the years, I’ve taken about a millions pictures of the dogs and once in a great while I get a good one.  This is my new favorite of Ella.

She can be kind of bossy, but is mostly a sweet girl.

Toby is harder to photograph.  Black dogs are a challenge.  He’s an 85 pound snuggler, which can be interesting.  He has the cutest sense of humor of any dog we’ve had.  Toby knows he’s hilarious and really enjoys it.

We invite you to sign up for our newsletter and send us your comments.  The sign up is on the right side of the page.  Also, find and follow us on Facebook at Mother on a Broomstick Designs.

Keep quilting,

Candy

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A Little Taste of Spring

January 28, 2016 by Candy Fullaway · Leave a Comment (Edit)

Here in the Northwest, we’re experiencing what I like to call the Spring Teaser.  It’s a mean little thing that  Mother Nature does to trick us into thinking that spring is almost here.  We have sunshine and balmy temperatures (like 62!).  Then we have a day that’s foggy and dreary, followed by a day of mostly sun.  I wouldn’t dream of complaining after seeing the big fun on the Eastern Seaboard.  That’s pretty brutal.  But I must admit I do feel a bit messed with.

 

After a cloudy day on Sunday, this sweet surprise on Monday morning was delightful.  There’s still a lot rain and chill to come but even a little sun is so energizing.  Today was kind of a mixed bag.

Every bit of blue sky helps and of course my tough little pansies are a real day brightener.

Today I finished this top called Cozy Throw.  It’s a kit from Craftsy by Amy Gibson.  There was plenty of fabric and good directions.  I like using the occasional kit to learn new things.  I haven’t done much with solids until the last few months and especially not white.  I’ve limited myself to tone-on-tone prints in place of solids in the past, but I like expanding the possibilities.  The plan is to use wool batting, which I haven’t done before.  I hear that you don’t grow old until you stop learning so I’ll just keep learning and hoping my brain stays young.

I love these cheery, bright colors.  They’re a perfect pick-me-up for January blues.

I have an idea for some new quilt designs that I’ll be testing out over the next few weeks.  In the meantime, please check out our two tulip-themed patterns, Singing Tulips and Tulip Field on the shopping page.  They’re both great reminders of the spring time ahead while there is still snow and bare trees outside our windows.

Quilt for fun!

Candy

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And We're Back!

Happy New Year to All!

After a busy holiday season, we're ready to start the year.  It's nice to get back to the sewing machine even if it's just to finish up leftovers from last year.  There are so many possibilities for the coming months that I hardly know where to start.  One challenge for the year is to work from my stash as much as possible.  I have given in to the siren's song of new fabric quite a lot lately and I think I have enough to keep me occupied for a while.  I have lots of fat quarters and other smallish pieces as opposed to big hunks and I cannot promise to deny myself all the time.  Still, there should be plenty of inspiration already in the studio.

Speaking of inspiration, I took a class from Coleen Barnhardt last weekend.  Coleen does longarm quilting and painting on fabric.  She's combined these to produce some really beautiful designs.  I'm just beginning to see the many ways this could be fun.  Coleen is teaching a class in the Portland area so if you're interested in having more information, let me know.

As you can see, I'm just getting started, but it's not hard to imagine how this technique could be very fun.  I'm looking forward to painting on unquilted fabric to create some one-of-a-kind pieces.  Look her up online at The Quilted Thistle.

Because the weather here (okay, everywhere) has been unusual this year, I have some confused tulips.

 I've never had them start to come up so early.  Sadly, so have the weeds so there's a bit of work out there waiting for me.  Even the pansies are anxious for spring to be here.  They look a bit weatherbeaten and continue to bloom anyway.

 

My small quilt group took December off and I'm really looking forward to our meeting tonight.  It's always fun to see what the girls have created and get some inspiration, but I have to admit that I love just coming together for a couple of hours to talk and laugh.  Having special friends who share you passion is just the best.

Finally, The Tea Party Runner (aka Santa Says Hi) is finished and on the kitchen table.  It's great to have a pop of color in the newly de-Christmased house.  The pattern is available on our shopping page.

Stay warm,

Candy