Summer is flying by here...August already! Anyone else thinking about Christmas yet? Might as well, 'cause you know how fast it'll be here! I'm still trying to find a balance between grandkids, volunteering, and creating. Seems every time I start on one I get pulled in another direction. I think I have adult onset ADD, which has been brought on by these kids and grandkids! So, about 'working' at The Discovery Shop. No, we don't get first crack at 'the good stuff'. Believe me, I expected to, but The Three Hour Rule is posted prominently in the break room. An item must be tagged and put on the sales floor for three hours before you, a volunteer, can go buy it. Yeah, I thought it was a sucky rule too, but this shop has 100 volunteers, so if we all went cherry-picking before putting stuff out on the floor, what would there be exciting to find for the customers? I was straightening racks there the other day and came across a skirt which was made from a fabric that just made me giddy. It was a size 14, above the knee, and all the way around was one inch pleats. Still had the store tags on it. (ya' think?) I immediately saw it's potential for use in a 'stack n whack' quilt. I've never made one but I know the concept from when my mom jumped on the bandwagon (along with most every other quilter) a few years back. I paid $8 for the skirt (and let the counter ladies think what they liked--didn't share my plans) and ran home to start ripping out all those seamed pleats. I kid you not; I ended up with eleven running feet of fabric. What designer could've thought eleven feet of pleated fabric would look good around a size 14 bottom? sheesh. After a short lesson via google, I started stacking and cutting and ended up with what will be 15 blocks in sizes 10, 16, and 20 inches.

Loving it so far!

I asked my mom not long ago how you get better and faster at paper piecing and she said (duh) "Plenty of practice". Well, I've made 24 blocks for the abc quilt that Marie Claire Idees inspired me to do and I have to say; I got pretty good AND fast! It's really quite enjoyable once you start building your confidence. Here's a look-see at what's waiting to be put together.

Have I told you lately that I am in LOVE with the blanket stitch on my Bernina?

I really really am.

All these projects going on...now you know why I've never shown full-on pics of the studio. It's always too busy to straighten and pretty for picture taking! Know that I love it, tho. That John Duncan sure went the extra mile to gain nightly control of the tv remote, huh?

Oh. Speaking of my Bernina. I went to a group sewing gig (monthly volunteer thing through the guild for community quilts) and what a job hauling that thing in and out of the car! One lady had brought the super cute Hello Kitty 3/4 size machine by Janome. Said she'd bought it for her granddaughter who doesn't seem interested in using it so thought she'd give it a whirl. She sewed straight all day just like the rest of us! So, yeah; you guessed it. I had to go buy a 'travel' machine.

Before I got the desk in the studio for jewelry making I had this travel case on wheels stuffed with all my bead boxes and all sorts of miscellany. I was almost sad to not have a use for it anymore, and now YAY! the travel machine is a perfect fit. Can't wait til the next social sewing (I think it's at Scottie Dog, Brenda. So don't laugh at me and my I Can Sew machine!)

Well, I hate to end after all those pretty pictures with this next one but it's my current reality

Yep, garage sale time...once again! (I always hear that in the voice of Woody in Toy Story. YAAARRDD SAAAAALE!) We've been paying $65/mo storage for three years now just so we didn't have to deal with it but I caught John on a good day last week (or just off-guard) and he borrowed the U-Haul from his office and two loads later the storage garage was empty and we were parking out side and I'm planning the sale. Sad thing is, I haven't even brought anything out from the house. Who needs all this stuff? It's really ridiculous.

OH. I almost forgot. Last week when I signed off and John was going to get my computer fixed? All he did was take the cover off the hard drive and vacuum LOTS of dust out of the fans. OH it was so dirty in there. Put the cover back on, plugged it in, and the darned thing's so quiet now you wouldn't even know it's plugged in. Cool! These things apparently aren't rocket science. Pass it on! :-)

Comments

[Lotta]

Oooh I wish I could have been at your garage sale lady! I bet it was chock full of good stuff!

[Tammy]

Totally lovin' the stack and whack skirt! :) Brilliant!

[susans at black eyed susans kitchen]

Jen, Every time you post about quilting, I am newly inspired. Keep it up...eventually I will be won over. I love that cute little sewing machine! Garage sale? We have been talking about it all summer. I will get to that eventually too. Good luck with yours. Susan

[Diane Duda]

Can't wait to see the finished quilt! (If I had quilting-skills I'd probably never paint another picture)
And, I agree, that little machine is soooo cute!

xo
Di

(your garage looks like my attic. :( )

[nancy]

that quilt is going to be AMAZING! and how darling is that machine? i've heard Janomes are fantastic, and now even though I've got my Bernina I'm thinking... gee, a travel machine...

[Nanette]

Isn't it nice when a "fix" is simple like your dusty computer. My car was acting horrible yesterday and I described it to my husband on the phone. I said "its like the break is on" and he said "lift the break pedal up with your foot and see what happens". It worked - it was stuck. The heat is hard on that car. I figure it got hot and the pedal stuck. Anyway - simple is always nice, just rare.

Love the blocks. Paper piecing isn't my forte but I'm learning to live in peace with it.

I love the idea of the hello kitty size machine! I hate carting mine around. Good idea.

Good luck with the garage sale. We all have too much.

[Robyn Haas]

Well how did the sale go? Come by and let me know! If I was a wee bit closer I would so have stopped by!
And all that lovely fabric is delish!
Can't wait to see what you come up with!
Hugs,
Robyn

[BrendaLou]

Jen---where DID you get that fantastic polka dot???? And yes, the next community sewing day is at Scottie Dog Quilts Sat. Aug 23. I know a couple of others who have the Hello Kitty sewing machine and it seems to work fine. I think I'll stick to my Singer featherweight. did you know that Featherweights are named after your grandmother? Mine is Nellie Belle. Your quilt is turning out well, I'm inspired.

[sharon]

I love all your sewing projects going on over there at the Duncan place. That fabric from the skirt is perfect for that quilt. Love it but couldnt see that print wrapped around MY size 14 butt!!!! Oh no I could not. LOLOL

[Ele at A bit of Pink Heaven]

"squeel" love the hello kitty aqua sewing machine! Your fabric blocks are so "happy", I love them. Nothing like a good garage sale to clean things out! Have a great weekend.

[suzy]

Hi Jen, Looks like you are having a very productive summer! I love what you are doing with that skirt, amazing! Remember I found that $30 Viking at the thrift earlier this year. My girls turned up their noses so I'm sewing away on it now, works so smooth. I put my needle breakin' Bernina in the closet for now. I bet if I brought home that cute little Hello Kitty number it would turn some heads! xo, suzy

[tammyCA]

That is pretty fabric - and, I can see this quilt is gonna be something! I would've grabbed that skirt, too. I have gotten cool fabric from thrift shop clothes & cut it up to make something else. Sometimes, the designer stuff looks like vintage fabric...Ralph Lauren is good like that.
Those Hello Kitty sewing machines are too darn cute! I was searching around for an aqua one awhile back...'course, I was gonna use the excuse of it being for my girl when she gets older. lol.

[happy zombie]

I'll be right back... I have to refill my coffee cup for this one.

Ok. I'm back. Ka-pow, batgirl! That's my socks getting knocked off from all the delights you lobbed at me! The skirt into stack-n-whack... magically delicious! And your blocks waiting to be put together... ohmyheck!

I bow before thee!

[MamaKoch]

11 yards in a skirt? That would be HEAVY to carry around.
The fabric is georgous. You did good.

[pam]

Wow, love the stack and whack blocs and reallly love those paper pieced blocks. And who doesn't love that blanket stitch. Is that the greatest machine ever? Love the new Kitty travel machine and you know what love you too Jen Duncan! xo

[Melissa Lobdell]

EEK! I love your I Can Sew machine! What a great color! xo-Mel

[Barbara]

Love all your cool sewing projects! Great fabric too. Good luck with your garage sale.

[Vanessa]

I'm not a quilter, but I love looking at all your projects. Looks like that Bernina does a great job. I sew with a 30 year old Bernina. I may have to check out those little machines. I don't have a "room" for my crafting so I have to take my machine in and out. Man is it heavy. Often I am only using it on sewing cards. A little one would be nice.