Wild Ride

So far December has been a wild ride around here.   Bill had surgery a couple of weeks ago and the day after he got out of the hospital, I fell and broke my ankle.  Bill is healing slowly, but it will be January before he's back to his old self.   I'll be in a cast for at least 12 weeks.  Oy, oy.

It's not exactly what we had hoped for since our two sons and Bill's sister will arrive soon for the holidays, but we're making lemonade out of lemons!   We're both nicely rested up for visitors, and friends have been wonderfully kind and helpful.

Joyce, Marybeth and Mary Ann have been running Sewcial Studio when Bill can't be there.  Next week I hope to be able to work in the shop again with a handsome chauffeur to get me there.   (Right ankle = no driving)

I've been able to do a little work on the quilt book I'm writing, and I'm working on this store sample project at home...

The magazine is the first or second issue of Generation Q, and this is a lovely, modern baby quilt (photo on right page of mag.).  I'm using a mini-Tonga set of 5" batik squares and a light taupe background fabric from Northcott. 

Earlier this month, Marybeth and I handed over an indigo commission quilt that we worked on together.  This photo was taken before it was quilted...

The indigo colors are much prettier in person.

All the best to you and yours during this holiday season.  May you be rested and may your home be warmed by friends and family.

Anita

Black Friday

It's that time again...Black Friday, when stores are stocked and waiting for us to visit.  I'm not one to shop at 4:00 am for a deal but this morning I was tempted since there was a $200 Janome sewing machine on sale for $79 before 9:00 am and $99 after 9:00.  

Alas, I already have 6 machines and 4 of those are sewing machines.  It's time to pass on one of these machines, so if you know of anyone near Athens, GA who needs a machine, please let me know.  The one I'm offering works well and is in very good condition, but it's not electronic and needs oiling regularly (I can give instruction if necessary).

We did some holiday decorating at Sewcial Studio this week with gold garland and holly berries from our trees.  I also rearranged the hand-dyed fabric case...

We had lots of curtain spring rods from our house in Florida and they came in handy for displaying  the fabric.  Looks much better than the towers of stacked fabric I had last week.

Can't see the garland too well, but it's there.  We also put all of our quilt patterns in one rack (left in photo).   I just love rearranging and making things more efficient!

Enjoy your long weekend!

Anita

Creative Juice

I'm sitting today in my lovely studio with soft music playing and plenty of fun things to do.  I have a commission quilt in progress, plans in my head for holiday decorating, some beading ideas, and new ideas for quilts (modern and other). 

Yesterday I made a new curtain for my eyesore broom closet out of a hand dyed fabric and a lovely Northcott fabric...

It's not exactly a "closet"; it's more of wasted corner space that I have made into a useful space.  Bill cut a dowel long enough to hold the curtain and it sits on top of the fabric shelves.

Bill made this great shelf for holding more fabric bolts.  It sits under the cutting table and it's the first thing folks see when they walk in the door. 

 We also brought in one of our vendor booth displays to hold scarves, table runners and ornaments for the holiday season...

Our neighbor Laurel from Stitch Craft visited recently and she brouht in her lovely aprons for us to admire...

 Great holiday apron!

These are made with dress shirts!  Laurel turns re-usabe fabric into lovely items;  she also does alterations, makes quilts, re-covers cushions and much more.

It's inspiring to have so many creative folks around us.

Autumn Projects

This week I've been putting together an indigo quilt with some of my hand-dyed fabric and favorite Indonesian and Japanese indigo fabrics.  Marybeth Tawfik quilted it yesterday and today I'm sewing on the binding.  The happy couple is getting married Sunday and I was trying to make a gift that would not be too manly and not too girly.

Do you think they'll like it?

This week we sent an application to be vendors at the Dallas Quilt Show in March of 2013.  Let's hope that they send a quick response, as I'm very excited about seeing that show!

Sewcial Studio received several boxes of new fabric this week, like these reds & blacks  (UGA colors)...

 ...and our first "dress" fabric--this lovely 54" voile fabric from Art Gallery Fabrics.

But the best box of all held fabrics that I have dreamed about for years and could never find--Northcott's premium quilting cotton, smooth, silky slightly thinner than traditional quilting cotton.  It is heaven on Earth to a fabric fanatic like me.

I dug out all of my blouse patterns to see what will work with these.  Yummmm!

Time to work on some details of a new online store for our website...

Anita

Rev 'er Up!

It's sewing time!  Can't you feel it in the air?  Our sewing machines are ready to come out of summer stagnation.  

Every year I go through a down-time with my machine.  We get tired of each other and take a break for a while.  I suppose it happens to most sewists who sew regularly.  The beginning of autumn each year is the signal for me to start sewing again, and true to tradition, my machine is into action.

Last week I started a modern quilt to show off one of the fabrics in the shop that no one seems to notice.  Isn't this bird fabric adorable?

I've also got a wedding gift in the making (which I can't show yet), a line-up of  machine quilting projects, and a Burmese silk that's waiting to become a pair of pants...





Love this pattern.  I've made the jacket 2 or 3 times and the pants twice so far.  The pants have elastic 2/3 of the way around, but with a flat front.  One of the seams goes right down the front with interesting detail.  This pattern needs a lightweight fabric, so the Burmese silk is perfect. 

I'm really enjoying our Sewcial Studio classroom as a sewing studio.

At Long Last

It’s been a quite while since I last posted—busy, busy, busy and a good sign for a new quilt shop owner.  Let me bring you up to date…

This year we went from being quilt show vendors to quilt shop owners.  It has been a giant leap and a wonderful journey.  As I may have mentioned, we opened our tiny Sewcial Studio Sewing & Quilt Shop in April in the Railroad Arts District of Athens, Georgia.  In August we expanded to include a 5-student classroom. 

Since the expansion we’ve been improving on the space.  Last week Bill installed some great lighting in both the shop and classroom.  Our new class tables also arrived—tough and sturdy school tables that have height adjustments for sewing comfort and don’t shake (even when our machines are working at full speed).

Classes have begun with a Beginner Brick Quilt class; several demo’s and more classes are scheduled and in the works.  You can find our class schedule on our website under the Store tab.

If you’d like to see some of our fabrics, I post the new ones on our Facebook page as they come in.  If you “like” our page, you’ll get updates as the fabric arrives.

We received more of our best-selling Caribou Antler Buttons and Toggles from Alaska this week (no animals are injured as they drop their antlers in the forest naturally). Love these!

Bill made the wooden rack (below) so that I can hang my works-in-progress and pretty pieces...

and he found the wire shelving to the right at the recycle center for me.  Good man.   

Last week I finally had some time to sew--yahoo!

I'm so glad to be back to blogging!

Start the Engine

It has been ages since I posted.  What's been happening?    Life, and lots of it...the good kind. 

In July we took an epic (for us) vacation/business trip to a state I've been wanting to visit for a long time--Colorado.  We planned the trip around the 2012 Quilt Colorado show, so we packed up our SUV and trailer and headed out with vendor booth items in tow.

Great show, then a trip through the Rockies to the "Western Slope" to see friends; down to New Mexico to visit our son Darrell during his Birthday week and then we headed home with one stop to see my friend Dorothy.

St. Louis--gateway to the west

On the Western Slope of Colorado

This was my first time seeing the Colorado River.

 Neav Vail, CO

 Old west town

I believe this was near Estes Park

A huge natural ampitheater; I believe this was in northern New Mexico

 Darrell had moved to New Mexico just weeks before this photo, and he had just come from an interview for the IT job he now has!

Great trip!

Come & Visit the Sewcial Studio Blog

Now that Sewcial Studio (our new sewing & quilt shop) is open, I've dedicated a blog to the store.  Come on over for a visit by clicking here.

Our first sale announcement and Grand Opening details are on that blog.

Our Last Days in Alaska

We have thoroughly enjoyed our days in Alaska with Bryan.  Monday was his first day at his summer job (following training) as an assistant to the Park Rangers at the Welcome Center in Anchorage.

 While he was working yesterday we drove to the Portage Glacier hoping to take a boat cruise up to the glacier...

 The drive to Portage was beautiful, of course.  The green trees and snow of this photo are part of the same mountain, but the water gave this photo a unique effect...

Unfortunately, the snow was so deep this year that the boat is still stuck in ice at Portage and the Visitor's Center was drying out after having snow covering the entire building.

 


So, we decided to continue down the road to visit Whittier, AK and possibly hop on a tour boat there.  The only way to get to Whittier was by boat or through this 2+ mile tunnel... hmmm

This tunnel is shared between trains, cars, and larger trucks and there's an hourly schedule for each to pass through...

 Since we had experienced an earthquake on the first day of our trip, we were glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 Whittier is a very small but lovely fishing village. 

 We loved this little gift shop in which many of the items were made by the owner.

 The far side of the bay is the only boat or ship exit

 Can you see the blue ice in the photo below?

This has been a wonderful trip. The people of Alaska are warm and friendly, and Anchorage is a beautiful city.

We'll be flying home during the night tonight and will try to get back onto our regular sleeping schedule.  Having spent days in so much sunlight, it will be nice to see the stars again. 

Alaska, you are beautiful and we will be back. 

Alaska, Days 3 & 4

 A cruise ship arrives in Resurrection Bay as we are heading back to Anchorage

 The first 2 of 6 moose sightings for the day

 Moose #6 walking along in Turn Again Arm (bay south of Anchorage)

 Scarey wildlife

 Frigid kite-surfing fun

A close-up of moose #6