More Stash

After we left Germany, we took a detour to TN to visit family for a couple of weeks.  Of course, I had to hit the shops there.  I had to go to Double Cross (cross stitching shop), but found out that they have sold the shop.  Not to worry though, the new owner has put the cross stitching in her Antique Shop, 3 Sisters.  So I can go look at cross stitch and check out some wonderful antiques at the same time.  The owner was working on a needle punch project by Brenda Gervais of With Thy Needle & Thread.  So I had to buy it, as well as another one that I have had my eye on.  She was working on the Boo-tiful Bouquet and it was gorgeous!  The Feather Your Nest pattern has caught my eye for awhile, so I thought I'd get it.  Now I haven't done much in the way of punch needle, but when you check out Brenda's designs it will make you want to learn.

Another one of my favorites is Stacy Nash.  I love her primitive and simple style.  She has lots of cross stitch patterns to make necessaries, and pin cushions.  I found a few more of hers that I didn't have.

My Mom and I took a day to shop together.  I took her to the cross stitch shop, as I knew she would love to check out the antiques.  Then we hit a couple of yarn shops.  I was showing her the newest Namaste Bag and she surprised me with buying it for me.  Gotta love those Mom's.  This is the Monroe.  I also bought a skein of yummy Malabrigo Sock Yarn.

I also bought some quilt books and charm packs in TN.  Then we left for Kansas and I added more quilt books and charm packs, and other things.  Here in Wichita, I have a nice cross stitch shop.  It's been a long time since I've lived in an area with a cross stitch shop around.  So this is exciting for me.  Heart's Desire is a wonderful shop and the ladies are really nice there.  Their walls are covered in stitched models and that makes you want to buy more.  I added more to my stitching stash there.

There are 4 quilt shops in Wichita, as well, as one in Derby.  Derby is just 15 minutes down the road.  So I have loads of quilt shops now.  After being in Germany for 4 years and not having any quilt shops around, this is wonderful!!!!  Not so much good for the ole' budget, but Doug knew that I would go a little crazy when we moved back to the States.

As you can see, I have lots to do now.  Not that I didn't have a thing to work with before.  But it's so much fun shopping in person again.

Kansas Shop Hop

Hi Everyone!  I've been MIA for a bit now with the move, but we are in Kansas and in the house.  We spent a month in billeting (on base) and after about 3 weeks to a month in the house, we finally got our final shipment on Tuesday.  That shipment was the things we had in storage from California.  There wasn't much that we couldn't do without in that shipment, except for my washer/dryer and the microwave.  I forgot what it was like to have to go to a laundromat, so I was getting very excited for this shipment to arrive.  Doug says that I've got to be the only woman to get excited over a washer and dryer.  LOL

We've got the boxes unpacked, but my sewing room still needs to be worked on.  I say sewing room, but it's in the unfinished basement.  There is lots of room though.  I still need to pull the sewing machine out and get it set up,  plus put a design wall up.

We got here in plenty of time for me to do the Central Kansas Quilt Shop Hop.  I took all 3 days to go to all 10 quilt shops.  After putting over 400 miles on my car and putting my Droid 2 to good use, I made it to all 10 shops.  I, also, found a couple of yarn shops along the way too.

Here is my stash for that 3 day weekend spree.  I was on the lookout for more Schnibbles patterns by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. plus Maggie Bonanomi's latest book Comfort Zone.  I picked up some layer cakes and some fabrics to go with the charm packs that I had bought before.  Those will go to make some Schnibbles patterns.  I also lucked up at one of the shops.  They had just received Jo Morton's latest fabric line, Annandale,  a couple of days before the Shop Hop.  They didn't have any bundles, so I just picked out fat quarters from what they had cut up already.  I love this line!   Can't wait to get back to my sewing room and start cutting into these fabrics.

I meant to post before now, but have been dealing with more fibromyalgia flare ups since our move here.    I have a dr's appt set up for next week to see if I need to change my meds.  I'm hoping we can get it figured out why I'm having more flare ups now and having more pain in general.  After doing the shop hop for 3 days, I was down all of last week.  There is a Yarn Shop Hop coming up at the end of the month, and I'm trying to decide if I want to tackle it or not, after seeing how the quilt shop hop took it out of me.

I have more things to share of my shopping experiences since being back in the States, but I'll save that for another post.  It's good to be back in the blogging world again.

Does anyone hand applique anymore?

I used to do a lot of hand applique a few years ago.  That is about all that I did, as far as quilting goes.  I had a yahoo group for Primitive Folk Art Applique as well.  I really enjoyed having that group and sharing my love of applique with others.   I no longer have that group, as there were some problems in the background and I found that I couldn't deal with it anymore.  During the last year of owning the group, I also started doing machine applique, just to keep up with everyone.  After awhile, it just didn't bring me the joy that appliqueing used to.  I always enjoyed hand work and found it relaxing.  I think, now that I look back, that trying to get so many quilts done along with others, just isn't what I want to do.  I want to get back to the basics and enjoyment of the process of hand applique.  It might take me years to complete quilts, but I would enjoy making the quilt more.

I have some fabrics that I bought to do some projects from Blackbird Designs book, 'When the Cold Wind Blows'.  I've been trying to decide on whether to do it by hand or machine.  I think I've finally come to the conclusion that hand is the way to go for me.  Since we will be moving this year, I'm going to start cutting them out and getting them ready for hand work while sitting outside this summer and also for traveling.

The first pic is of Winter Garden.  I have the fabrics all ready to go for it.  It's a large quilt and each block is cut 28 1/2".  That is big!  If anyone has any tips for cutting out such a large background block, please let me know.  This next pic is of a wallhanging in the same book.  It's called Frost on the Ferns.

There is also another quilt in this book that I would love to do.  I don't have a pic of it taken yet, but I have pulled fabrics from my stash.  It's a Christmas quilt and it's called Holly and Mistletoe.  I realized this past Christmas that I don't have any quilts for Christmas, so I may have to start this one too.  It's got some applique blocks and lots of pieced blocks.

I haven't been able to do too much this past weekend, as I had a major flare up of Fibromyalgia.  It's still giving me problems today, but I'm hoping it will subside soon.  It's been in my fingers and hands a lot this weekend, so not doing any hand work.  Just taking it easy and watching 'Ghost Hunters' dvd.