Soukies

Applique Butterfly Quilt and applique owl quilt

2012-02-09T15:44:00.000-08:00

I finished this beautiful raw edge applique quilt with purple butterflies today.

I stitched around each butterfly using a raw edge applique to allow for fraying. I put it through the wash to start the fraying process and am thrilled with how it came out. You can find it listed in my ETSY shop here.

I have already started on my next quilt using a fabric by Moda called Ruby. It is a wonderful line of reds, aquas and grays. I appliqued owls onto the front along with the word Love. I made a pieced backing to match and will be quilting it this week. Aren't these colors yummy??

Happy Quilting!
~Lynn~

Butterfly applique baby blanket with Minky

2012-01-03T09:37:00.000-08:00

I have my first finish for 2012! I made this adorable baby blanket with applique butterflies on the minky. It was fairly easy to make except I need to work on getting my fabric to lay flat with the Minky. I have a slight pucker with the butterfly fabric but not too bad. I will definitely be making more of these in the future!

Orca Bay Clue # 6!!

2011-12-22T10:55:00.000-08:00

Bonnie decided to give us an early christmas present and upload step 6 of Orca Bay! I could not wait to cut my fabric and make a couple of blocks. I have all the black and all the red cut with 1/2 the neutrals. Here are two of my completed blocks. I love them!

Orca bay Step 4 and 5

2011-12-19T19:46:00.001-08:00

Well I had a slow start on Step 4 of my Orca Bay quilt along. I finally finished approximately 20 squares but put it aside to work on step 5. I want to at least get in some of each step and in between, I can go back and work on the strings that I still have left.

I am so excited to see this quilt come together!

Orca Bay step #3 progress

2011-12-10T07:45:00.000-08:00

I chose to use a paper piece to make my half square triangles for step 3 in Orca Bay. I tried to do it with the ruler but they just were not coming out good and it was taking forever. It took me a couple of hours to stitch all of the needed squares and I cut them all apart while watching tv.

I still have ironing to do and to peel off the paper backing, but it is going rather quickly. I will be starting on step 4, red string blocks today or tomorrow!

~Lynn~

Quilted Carpenter Star

2011-12-06T19:54:00.000-08:00

I did a basic stipple on my carpenter star quilt. This time, my quilt was perfectly straight so I had no trouble quilting it on the frame. I started out doing a feather stitch but that turned out to be horrible so I ripped out the stitches and started over. I just have the binding to put on and I will have my very first finished queen size quilt for my bed.

I absolutely love this pattern and will definitely be making more of these. It took me less then a week to complete!

~Lynn~

Carpenter Star progress

2011-12-03T07:50:00.001-08:00

Here are all my blocks laid out. It is nice to take a picture before actually stitching them together as I noticed a mistake in the block placement. I also double and triple checked with my pattern each time I stitched a block together to make sure they were correct. I love this pattern!

Carpenter Star quilt

2011-11-30T10:06:00.001-08:00

I purchased the Carpenter Star quilt pattern back in September from Quiltscapes quilting. I am finally getting around to making one! I purchased my fabrics to make a different pattern but found out I did not have nearly enough and would need several more yards. So I changed over to this pattern and will only need to go back for about 1 yard of the dark blue fabric.

I already have all of the pieces cut out with the exception of 10 of the dark blue 10 inch squares. I have also marked the stitching lines on the back to make my half square triangles. I think this quilt is going to go together very quickly which for me is an absolute bonus! I am off to the fabric store for the rest of what I need and back home to sew!

~Lynn~

Orca Bay Mystery Quilt Part 2

2011-11-27T18:42:00.000-08:00

I finally completed all of my quarter square triangles for Orca Bay and have started on part 2. So far, I have 6 blocks completely done. I love the way they are turning out but I think I may have cut my fabrics too small. I used 3/4", 1", 1 1/4" and 1 1/2". Using the ones and inch and under are making me have to use at least 8 fabrics. So it is taking longer to make them then if I had used larger cuts of fabrics. Anyway, here is the photo of the ones I have completed so far. I actually love them!

Half my blocks are done now!

Quiltville Mystery 2011 Orca Bay!

2011-11-22T12:52:00.000-08:00

I have decided to join Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt which is called Orca Bay. This will be my first quilt along/mystery quilt that I have done. My goal is to get better at piecing and getting my quarter inch perfected. This seems like the perfect challenge for this!

Step #1 was to gather my fabrics and because I suck at choosing coordinating fabrics, I am using the color palette like Bonnie. Black, neutrals/whites, reds and blues. We cut the blacks and neutrals into 1.5" strips and then paired them up, right sides together and used a Companion Angle Ruler to cut out the blocks. I found that the best way to do this was by using STARCH first! My first blocks came out horrible but the ones using the starch are just perfect.

We have to start with 448 1/2 square triangles

which will become 224 hour glass blocks measuring 2.5 inches. So far, I have 40 made!!

I have 184 more blocks to make and hopefully I will have them done before step 2 comes out!

~Lynn~

My not so Square quilt :(

2011-11-17T11:09:00.001-08:00

I think that I would win a ribbon for having the most un-square quilt in the world! I am working on a queen size quilt where normally I will only tackle up to a twin. Well, I now know the reason behind making sure your quilt is perfectly square! I loaded it onto the frame but noticed it was not square so I thought that I could float the top and quilt it anyway. WRONG :( Once I got toward the bottom, there was no quilting out the wrinkles.

So, I decided to take the quilt off the frame, remove the bottom borders and try to reattach with less fabric. This too is proving near impossible.

I have been using my Juki to piece with but now have it on the quilting frame. So, I went back to my bernina 440 QE. However, I noticed that my presser feet do not sit straight on the machine. WTH! I know I did not bump it or drop it or do something that would make it this far off. I tried all my feet and they are all crooked. I called my dealer and they said the bad news is that it is not supposed to be this way. The good news is that they can fix it while I wait. DH is going to come with me so maybe I can convince him I need an upgrade??

On a happier note, I LOVE my JUKI!!!!!

2011-11-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

I finally finished a quilt for my son! I think I started this one over a year ago and finished all except for the binding. I put it aside and "forgot about it". I took it out again the other day and am ashamed to say it only took about 1 hour to finish!

I am currently working on a pattern that I purchased from Etsy called Buns over Band Box from LittleLouisequilts. I used fabric from Moda brights jelly roll and a basic black. I love the way it is turning out so far and can't wait to get it onto the quilting frame.

I have the two outer borders left to put on and then piece a backing together. This one I started at the end of May and hopefully will have finished by the end of this month.

~Lynn~

Ladybug Pillowcase dress

2011-08-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

I finally tried my hand at making a pillowcase dress and I love love love it! Ladybugs are my favorite and were perfect for this little dress. I made it for my friends grand baby Sophia and cannot wait to see her in it. I used a pattern by tinytotpatterns on Etsy. I made it a bit different though and did not use the liner fabric. Instead, I used a bias tape to finish the armholes and I did a french seam throughout to eliminate exposed seams. I will definitely be making more of these dresses!

~Lynn~

MacBook Pro Computer :)

2011-08-18T15:34:00.001-07:00

So DH bought me a new MacBook Pro computer. So far, I absolutely love it but am still struggling with how it works. Going from a PC to a Mac is a bit of a learning curve. I cannot figure out how to edit my photos yet so they all come out really huge. I want to download Irfan view but not sure it is compatible. It comes with a program called iphoto but I do not see anywhere in the program where I can edit the size of the pictures. I guess I will have to use the pc for pictures until I can figure it out. The only problem is I find the pc to be so so so slooooooow now. I seriously love the mac!

Monson Massachusetts Tornado

2011-06-03T06:10:00.000-07:00

Nobody wakes up in the morning and thinks the weather for the day will produce a tornado. But that is exactly what happened here in Massachusetts on June 1st 2011. In fact, it produced at least 4 with 3 deaths.

My day started out great! It was delivery day for my new Juki 2010Q Machine so I patiently waited all day long for the UPS man to arrive. As I sat at my sewing machine, I kept looking out the window for that glimpse of brown. Instead, I was seeing the sky turning black. Finally UPS arrived with my beautiful new machine just before it started to rain really hard. He dropped my machine off and ran out the door. I literally had 5 minutes to take the manual out of the box when DH called me on my cell and all I could hear in the background was hail. He was about 4 miles away from our house at our shop and the hail coming down was golf ball size and we had tornado warnings. Our call was disconnected and I told My youngest DS if I yelled RUN he was to run to the basement ASAP.

We turned the TV on and saw that tornados were touching down all around us. We heard one touched down in Monson which is the next town over from us and the town that my in-laws live in. I had no phone service and no way to contact anyone to find out who was safe and who was not.

We were fortunately spared the devastation that so many are facing today. I cannot believe what my eyes are seeing and just never thought something like this could happen here in our area. My advice to you now is if your news says you have tornado warnings, take them to heart and take cover because Mother Nature is not being very nice lately!

Here are some pictures that I took yesterday.

~Lynn~

I love a nice of stack stitched fabrics!

2011-06-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

I love browsing through blogs and coming across pictures of neatly stacked piles of stitched fabric. I always think, Why don't my piles ever look like those? So, today after I cut my strips into 2.5" strips, I neatly stacked them up so I could take a picture.

Doesn't that look pretty? I will be stitching these into 9 patch units today for a quilt that I am making for my bed, finally!

My Juki is scheduled to arrive from UPS sometime today!! Of course because I am anxiously awaiting his arrival, he will make me the last stop.

~Lynn~

Spray Starch and ironing

2011-05-31T18:27:00.000-07:00

So today I decided to try using spray starch and ironing my fabric before cutting. I am actually surprised by how much better my pieces came out! And I have only sewn the strip sets together and ironed lol. Normally when I piece a quilt, I take the easy way out and I just put the two pieces of fabric together and sew. Most of the time, my piecing stinks. Today, I took the time to spray starch, iron and then pin each strip before sewing and I think this will make all the difference between an ok quilt and an awesome quilt!

I am making a quilt for my bed using two Moda Batik jelly rolls and some Moda black fabric. Tomorrow I will snap some pictures of my progress so far and see if the cutting goes better then it normally does.

~Lynn~

Trying to make a Dancer Skirt

2011-05-26T15:52:00.000-07:00

Is it just me? or are there others out there who have a love hate relationship with their seam ripper? No matter how hard I try, I just cannot seem to get through a project without using my seam ripper.

I have been admiring all of the wonderful Dancer skirts over on Sew Forum so I thought I would give the pattern a whirl. I purchased it from Youcanmakethis.com, got my fabric all picked out, printed the pattern pieces, got them all cut out and I am ready to go! Or not :(

First issue I am having is with the shorts. I cut out two pieces of the pattern and stitched up the side seams. Then you are supposed to match up the seams and sew the crotch together. Well, my crotch area does not match up at all. It is like an inch off. I made sure that I printed the pattern correctly and I think I cut it out correctly but nope, still don't match up. So, i put those off to the side and set off to work on the skirt.

I cut out two pieces for the top part of the skirt and two pieces for the bottom part of the skirt. The pattern calls for me to gather the short piece and attach to the waist band and then gather the second part and attach. Well I obviously cannot read directions very well and I attached both pieces together first and then gathered and am now at the point of attaching them to the waist band. Hopefully it will still work because I did not follow directions.
This is what I have so far. I still have to try and figure out how to do the shorts and then sew the waistband. I think it is adorable but I much prefer the patterns that have the step by step directions with real pictures showing you how to do each step.

Anyway, My point of the post is to point out the fact that I am constantly using my seam ripper and cannot get through a project without it. I know I can't possibly be the only one out there who does this am I?

~Lynn~

Butterfly Block

2011-05-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

I found a tutorial on a quick and easy butterfly block so I thought I would give it a try. It really is an easy block to make! The only thing I think I need to do is cut out the extra fabric from each layer as it does make the block rather thick and heavy. I also need to work on cutting my pieces a bit differently and stop being so anal about symmetry! I always seem to think everything needs to be even on each side and that is just not the case with this block.

My next post is going to be all about my wonderful piece of junk iron!

Have a great day!
Lynn

2011-05-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

Well I finally finished a quilt top! I have been working on this applique quilt for at least a year. I started it and then put it away and would take it out to work on it here and there. I just need to get the backing pieced together and then get it on the quilting frame. I should have my new Juki on Wednesday so I am going to wait until then to quilt it up.

This year I have finally decided that I NEED to finish up all of the half started quilt tops that I have lying around.

Although I found this awesome butterfly quilt that I just have to start working on today!

If you love giveaways like I do, head on over and visit Dena at Tales at Wayne Manor! She is giving away a box of fabric! And then you can wait along with the rest of us for the other things she want's to tell us but can't ;)

Have a great day!
Lynn

I bought a Juki 2010Q!

2011-05-24T07:16:00.001-07:00

Well I bit the bullet and bought myself a Juki 2010Q! I have been wanting to get a Juki TL98Q for a while but just never had the money to do it. I am glad I waited because the 2010Q has the sliding speed control so I can sew at 200 spm all the way up to 1500 spm!

I am excited to get this baby home next week and try it out on my quilting frame!

Where has the time gone?

2011-05-16T14:49:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe that it is already May 16th and it is still pretty much freezing out! I am still trying to get my mojo back and really need to start posting more.

I am going to try to tackle some of my unfinished projects that are accumulating in bins in my sewing room. I have so many quilt tops that need just a few more things to be appliqued before I can sandwich them together and quilt. With this rainy, cold weather it is the perfect time to do just that!

I made an adorable little onesie dress for my friends granddaughter. It was the first time I sewed with knits and I used my serger to make a rolled hem. I love the way it came out. I will definitely be making more of these.

That's all for now. I will post pictures of the quilt I am going hopefully finish within the next 2 weeks.

Lynn

UFO's 2011n0

2011-01-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

Last year left me with a TON of UFO's. I am the type of person that will get excited to start a project only to get side tracked and put it aside. I then see another project that I have to start and the other one never gets done.

Well, my goal for 2011 is to finish some of the unfinished projects from previous years. (there are tons!)

Little by little, I will finish up the projects.

Lynn

More Hooded Bath Towels

2010-12-18T18:21:00.000-08:00

I have been busy making hooded towels. Some are for orders and others to put into my Etsy shop.

This one is for an order

And this one is for her brother

So, how many of you have a Brother SE-270D? Don't you just hate the threading system? I had been having a heck of a time trying to get the machine threaded. It just would not catch and thread the needle. So, my dh came up with the idea of taking the thread through the steps but NOT cutting it at the end but instead, pull it up and hold it at the top of the threader. Then when you put it down into the machine, it seems to catch and thread better then if you cut the thread. Does this makes sense lol? I will try to take photos so you can see what I mean.

At any rate, I absolutely love the machine (other then the threader) and no longer feel like tossing it out the window!

Off to sew some more towels :)
Lynn

Hooded Bath Towels

2010-12-17T20:34:00.000-08:00

I have been making hooded bath towels for a while but just recently was able to add applique to them. Both of my embroidery machines were not working properly but DH managed to fix them and I am back up and running.

This little hedgehog came from Planet Applique

This cute penguin was also from planet applique

Both are available in my Etsy shop!

Lynn

Scentsy Wickless Candles

2010-10-21T14:07:00.000-07:00

I have just recently found the Scentsy products and OMG do they smell awesome! I had my rep bring over a basket party for me to have at my husbands transmission business. Our shop has never smelled so good! I just cannot get over how just a couple of small wax pieces can make the entire office smell like homeade sugar cookies.

If you have never seen Scentsy, you can browse the product at https://47009.scentsy.us (this is my rep) or you can add in your zip code to find a rep near you. I am having a basket party so anyone interested in placing an order through my party, just send me an email at apluspalmer@aol.com and I will let you know what to do!

LadyBug hooded bath towel

2010-04-01T16:41:00.001-07:00

I just made this adorable ladybug hooded bath towel listed in my Etsy shop!

and my ds modeling for me! He is so cute :-)

Happy stitching!
Lynn

Owl Towel

2010-04-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

So my embroidery machine (brother 750D) has been broken for some time. Or so I thought lol! I bought some prewound bobbins and my machine works like a charm! I guess this machine just does not like certain bobbin thread.

Anyway, I saw these adorable towels on one of my favorite blogs Coles Corner and Creations. I found the design here at TigerLilyHill Embroidery and stitched it out last night. I love the way it stitched out and am so glad my machine is working again!!

Happy Stitching!
Lynn

Just listed My miniature Quilt Magazines

2010-03-31T09:19:00.001-07:00

over on Ebay! Low starting bid of just .99 cents :-)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380220497730&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

Happy Quilting!
Lynn

DQS8 Doll quilt Swap

2010-03-09T14:57:00.000-08:00

I joined the DQS8 doll quilt swap. My partner is an amazing quilter so I was nervous about making this quilt. I made 3 different quilts before I found what I wanted. I decided to try and machine stitch my binding down. Big mistake! I am NOT good at machine stitching the binding down and it came out absolutely horrendous.

So, the front of the quilt came out nice and the back, not so nice :-) I hope my partner likes it!

Happy quilting!
Lynn

Selling my Quilt Magazines

2010-02-24T08:42:00.000-08:00

Well, I have finally come to the conclusion that I have way way too much stuff and not enough places to store them all. I have decided to sell my quilting magazines along with some of my embroidery machines. I purchased a Bernina 440 QEE so I will be using the embroidery from that machine.
I have a Brother SE270D and a Brother 750D. The brother 750 D was hardly used but gave me so much grief. I am not sure I am cut out to do embroidery lol! I just could never get the tension right and have heard that you should use Brother bobbin thread which I can never find.

So, I am starting a 1000 step program to get organized and rid of some of the excess items in my house.

More info coming!

Happy Quilting!
Lynn

My Etsy Shop Moda, Denyse Schmidt Fabric

2010-01-16T19:34:00.000-08:00

I have recently been listing in my Etsy shop. I finally received my order of Denyse Schmidt's Hope Valley fabrics! I think they are starting to grow on me! Stop by and take a peek!

Also stop by here and check out the great pattern from Red Pepper Quilts using the Hope Valley Line of fabrics! This is the quilt that made me fall in love with this line.

Check back often as I still have loads to list!

Happy Quilting!
Lynn

My first finish for the New Year!

2010-01-03T09:23:00.000-08:00

I finished my first quilt for 2010! I used my new Accuquilt Go Tumbler die to cut the shapes which were pieced last month. I quilted and did the binding yesterday.

For the binding I used a quilting pattern of tiny stipple like design to stitch it down. I love how it came out! I hope I can keep up this momentum and get the rest of my WIP's done!

Happy Quilting!
Lynn

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T16:33:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe that it is already 2010! How fast time is flying by now! I almost have my first quilt finished for the year. I pieced it last month but put it on my frame today and got it quilted in an hour. I had a few problems with it but overall it came out beautiful! I will post pictures as soon as the binding is done.

Pat Sloan asked us to tell her one word that would our word for the year. I chose Organization to be my word as I really need to organize my life, home, sewing room etc. I have started with turning my book shelves on their side and stacking them on top of each other. I have all my bolts of fabric lined up on the shelves. It makes it much easier to take one out for cutting and begins my year of Organization! So hop on over to Pat's blog and choose your word of the year!

Happy Quilting!
Lynn

Bernina Quilt Frame

2009-12-05T20:47:00.001-08:00

My DH bought me a Bernina Quilt Frame for christmas today! I am using it with my Bernina 440QEE and so far I am loving it! I was not sure about the small throat space but it really is not that bad. I can stipple with ease and the stitch regulator seems to work so much better. And the best part of all, I don't have to pin baste my quilts anymore!!!! As soon as my batteries charge for my camera I will snap some photos. I am also going to make some videos because I have not seem many where people are using regular sewing machines with a quilt frame.

I also won a giveaway from Tom over at quilting and carving! I won a beautiful handcrafted picture frame with gnomes! Pics to follow when it comes in the mail!!

Happy Quilting!
Lynn

I am selling my collection of Miniature Quilts Magazines

2009-09-24T06:33:00.001-07:00

I am selling my Minature quilts magazines. I have too many quilting magazines and need to downsize. The list includes the following issues
Premier issue
Issue 3,4,5,6,7,9,10,13,14,18,19,20,21,23,26,27,29,30,35,36,37,40,41,42

All for 50.00 plus 10.85 for shipping. Please send me an email to aplusquiltshop@aol.com if you are interested!

Lynn

Selling my Minature Quilts Magazines! 25 issues

2009-09-23T07:58:00.000-07:00

Moda Fabric Giveaway!

2009-09-14T17:59:00.000-07:00

I am having a giveaway of 3 Moda Charm Packs on my other blog for my Quilt shop. Hop on over to http://www.aplusquiltshop.blogspot.com/ to enter!

Revamped my online website

2009-09-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

I just did some redesigning of my website www.aplusquiltshop.com. I seem to have lots of abandoned baskets each day and little sales. I added the ability to accept credit cards and also added an express paypal checkout button.

So I guess only time will tell if it makes a difference :-)

A Plus Quilt Shop Now accepts Credit Card Payments!!

2009-09-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say I finally stepped up my quilt store to accept credit card payments. I have alot of abandoned baskets and figure it is because not everybody uses paypal! Hopefully things will pick up a bit now!

Stop by and visit my store at www.aplusquiltshop.com

Do you EQ6? I just ordered my copy!!

2009-08-31T14:58:00.000-07:00

I am really excited to get my copy of the EQ6 software! I have been wanting to get it for a while but really could not justify the cost. Well I finally bit the bullet and purchased it! I would love to hear from any others who use the program and likes or dislikes. Now I will unpatiently await for the ups man to arrive!

Happy Quilting
Lynn

Don't Look Now is having a giveaway!

2009-08-27T19:37:00.001-07:00

Kellie from Don't look now is giving away the most beautiful quilt ever! Pop on over to her site to enter here! You will not be disappointed!

Time flies by in Blog Land!

2009-07-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it has been so long since I last posted. I have been working on a few quilts that I need to take photos of to post. I also signed up for DQS7 and Good Ol Summertime Swap. I received both of my partners information. One of them likes pretty much the same as me but the other one is I think a complete opposite of me so I think making that quilt will be a challenge.

I am coming up with ideas now and will post some pics as soon as I get some. Other then that, we have been camping every weekend and trying to stay during the week as much as possible. I just love NH and could spend the rest of my life there!

Here is our campsite (and my mini dachshund Minnie)

I will post quilt pictures soon, they are loaded into my other computer.

Happy Quilting!
Lynn

ManQuilter

2009-06-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give a shout out for my friend Matt at ManQuilter.com. He and his wife Bradie have a live webcam where you can watch them quilt on their HQ16 Longarm quilter. I have learned so much in the short time that I have been watching them. So if you have a moment to check them out, I am sure you will become hooked just like me!

Lynn

Hooded Bath Towels

2009-06-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

Wow! I did not realize how long it has been since my last entry. I am a bad blogger lol.

I have been making these adorable Hooded Bath towels. They are great for our camper when the kids go down to the pond. Nice and warm!

You can purchase my towels at my website www.aplusquiltshop.com

Happy Quilting!
Lynn

1/4 inch foot

2009-06-03T09:29:00.001-07:00

No matter how much I try and how hard I practice, I just cannot seem to get a true quarter inch seam. So, I went out yesterday and bought myself a new foot for my bernina with the 1/4 inch guide.

What a huge difference that little guide makes in accuracy! I had started some of my disappearing 9 patch before getting the foot and then some afterwards. I put them together and they did not match up. Way off actually so now I know how important that little foot is.

That is my finding for the day lol!

Lynn

DQS6 Disaster

2009-06-03T06:27:00.001-07:00

I made this really cute quilt for DQS6 and mailed it out on 5/1/09. Just my luck, it has been lost in mail land :-( For over a month it is nowhere to be found. I have the receipt so will try and call the PO and see if they can locate it. (it went overseas)

An Angel quilt has been sent to her by the wonderful TLHCrawford and hopefully mine will show up eventually!

On a lighter note, I have been working on a couple of quilts. I made a pinwheel quilt for one of my swap partners and really liked it so I am making a larger version of that.

I am also working on a disappearing 9 patch usuing a fresh layer cake by Moda. I really love the colors in that fabric and with the layer cake, I cut each 10 inch square into 4 5 inch squares. I have way more squares then with a charm pack so I think this one might end up fitting my bed!

That's all for now, Have a great day!
Lynn

A Plus Quilt Shop and My New Winner

2009-05-14T14:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I have opened up my web store. It is a work in progress and needs work but not bad for a website illiterate person! My website is www.aplusquiltshop.com, stop by and check it out! I would be happy to hear any comments or critiques on my site!

My giveaway apparently was a flop :-( I never did get a response from Heather after almost 2 weeks. I sent emails to her email address as well as posting on her link to my giveaway on her site.

So, my new winner is.......TOM H who said Well Heck! I cannot pass this up. Good luck on the store. I am off to check it out! So Tom, please send me your address so I can mail out the fat quarters to you!

Happy Quilting!
Lynn

My winner has not come foward!

2009-05-11T06:36:00.000-07:00

I posted the winner of my giveaway a week ago. Heather won but has not come foward to collect her winnings :-(. I have sent an email along with posting on her blog so Heather, where are you? I will choose another winner if I do not hear from Heather by Wednesday.

Happy Quilting!

And the winner is..........

2009-05-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

Heather! Heather wrote Yay, what a great giveaway! Please send me your address and I will send out the fat quarters to you!

Thank you to everyone who entered and stopped by!

Lynn

May 1st, A New store, How about a giveaway??

2009-05-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that it is May 1st already! Where is the time going? I finally started getting in some of my fabric that I ordered and my thread cabinet will be coming in soon as well. I have beautiful Moda "dessert" fabrics all around me!

So, what's a girl to do with all this fabric? Have a giveaway of course! To celebrate My new business and May 1st!

If you leave me a message from now until Sunday May 3rd at 7pm eastern time, you will have one entry.
Mention and link my giveaway on your blog and earn another two entries. And finally, if you place an order from me, you will get three more entries. I will draw a winner on Sunday night!

Oh, you want to know what the prize is? A bundle of 15 fat quarters from Eleanor Burns Victory Garden Collection!

Below is a list of Moda fabrics I have. Not all are listed in my Etsy store yet. If you are interested in making a purchase, you can email me at aplusquiltshop@aol.com or visit my Etsy store.

Swanky Layer Cake - 27.99
Swanky Honey bun - 15.99
Swanky Turnover - 9.00
Oh Cherry Oh Jelly Roll 24.95
Oh Cherry Oh Layer Cake 27.99
Oh Cherry Oh Honey Bun 14.99
Soiree Charm Pack 5.95
Pack your bags Jelly Roll 19.99
Candy Kisses Jelly Roll 19.99
Candy Kisses Charm pack 5.95
Hello Betty Charm Pack 7.50
Arcadia Jelly Roll 24.99
Arcadia Charm pack 7.50
Tin Box Sampler Summer in the city 14.99
Tin Box Sampler Peek a Boo 14.99

Shipping for charm packs is 2.50 for the first one, 1.25 each additional.
Jelly Rolls will be 5.95 for the first and 2.50 each additional
Layer Cakes will be 5.95 for the first and 2.50 each additional
Tin box samplers 4.95
I am always happy to combine shipping!

International friends, as I have never shipped these items overseas yet, I will be checking prices for the best way to ship. From what I have seen from others, shipping is 12.95 for jelly rolls. I will be happy to weigh items first for actually shipping charges.

I will be away for the weekend but will check in from time to time.

Lynn

My Etsy Shop

2009-04-29T16:02:00.000-07:00

I have had an Etsy shop for a while but never stocked it with anything. I placed some of the fabric items in the shop here. If you visit my Etsy shop and make a purchase, leave me a message and I will give you an extra chance in my giveaway to be posted this week!

Lynn

Good Morning!

2009-04-29T07:39:00.001-07:00

I am swamped with fabric! All in a good way of course because it is afterall, FABRIC!!!! I am slowly starting to receive my orders in from Moda and I love everything! I am working on getting a web site up and running but that is slow going.

So, in the next couple of days, I will have a giveaway to celebrate my new business! Details to come :-)

Lynn

I want to keep all the fabric for myself!

2009-04-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

It is going to be extremely hard to have to part with the fabrics that are coming in now! I want to keep at least one of each for myself! Well, I suppose I could justify them as samples right?

I have ordered several different pre-cut fabrics that will all hopefully be in by next week. It is going to be so much fun getting my store set up and my online store created!

My new Adventure!

2009-04-17T06:11:00.001-07:00

I love fabric! I love thread! I love quilting! So, I thought I would open up a small quilt store! My dh owns a transmission business and the building has an empty office space. It is the perfect space to have a small shop and I won't have to drive far to get my fabric fix!

Right now, the closest quilt shop is 30 minutes away. I hate running out of a thread color or a certain fabric and not being able to get to the store until the next day. I am in the process of setting up my accounts and ordering my supplies which is exciting in itself!

I will be mostly stocking precut fabrics and fat quarter bundles which I never can seem to find even at my local quilt shops.

And so begins another adventure!!!!!

New Flower Applique Quilt WIP

2009-04-12T13:17:00.001-07:00

This is the latest project that I am working on. I am almost done with the applique but ran out of green thread. And of course it is a holiday so nothing is open. I cannot wait to try quilting it on my bernina. The patterns are from none other then Kellie from Don't look now. My inspiration is from a photo on her blog from someone who made a quilt from her patterns and also from this awesome quilt that you see at Jillysspace.

The kids had fun this morning. I hid eggs outside and froze my butt off! I cannot believe it is so cold in April! Yesterday we actually had some rain and snow mixture. Where is the warm weather?? Have a great day!

I think I am in Love!!

2009-04-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

I picked up my bernina yesterday evening. I stayed up until after midnight playing and did not even make a dent in what the machine can do! My stitches are just perfect and free motion quilting has never been easier. This machine is an absolute dream!

After we picked up my machine, we went to the harley davidson shop and dh bought his dream machine! A 2008 Harley Davidson flhtcu Ultra Classic Electra Glide. I should have asked for the Bernina 830 huh? lol

At any rate, I will post updates on how the machine runs as I play around with it. I have not even taken the embroidery unit out of the box. I think I will wait until I have my class for that. My dealer will be giving me 5 or 6 lessons to go over everything on the machine. I am in Heaven!!

Bernina Day! Bernina Day! Woohoo!!

2009-04-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

My Bernina should be in today at my dealer!! I cannot wait to play with it this weekend! My husband thinks I am nuts to spend so much money on a sewing machine. He just does'nt get it lol! I am so excited!!!!!!!

Lynn

I took the plunge and bought a Bernina 440 QEE!

2009-04-07T07:59:00.000-07:00

I went into my local dealer yesterday and purchased a new Bernina 440 QE. They are running a special for this month of either a Free Embroidery Unit or a Free Serger with purchase! The price was incredible and hard to resist. I will get it in on Friday so all weekend to play with my new machine!

If anyone lives near Western Massachusetts and you are in the market for a new sewing machine, stop by and visit Kathy at Charlton Sewing Center. The customer service and prices are the best!

Happy Quilting!
Lynn

DQS6 Quilt

2009-04-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

I am almost finished with this quilt. I just have to sew the binding down and put the label on. I used Steam a Seam lite to put the applique down and then applique stitched around them. My free motion skills need much improvement but I really love this quilt. I hope my partner likes it as well.

butterfly quilt tops

2009-04-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

I made these two quilt tops up yesterday. I still have to add applique to the purple one and then quilt them both. I really love pink and purple :-)

Orange Crush Baby Quilt

2009-04-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

This is my 3rd finished quilt of the year! I used a charm pack from Studio E and off white Kona cotton. I free motion stitched it on my Brother Se270d machine. It was much easier then my kenmore because it has the auto run button. Not having to control the foot peddle and my hands made it much easier to do.

Jigsaw pillow anyone?

2009-03-31T06:46:00.000-07:00

Kellie over at Don't Look Now has once again created the most stunning patterns! With her new patterns you can create beautiful pillows or quilts. The opportunities are endless! I cannot wait to get my pattern in the mail. If you are interested in purchasing her patterns, you can get them here. If you want her new pattern, and it is before April 7th, email her here and put preorder in the subject line.

And don't forget to leave her a comment for a chance to win one of her amazing pillows!

Happy Quilting!

Flea Market Fancy Baby Quilt

2009-03-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

I made this quilt with leftover blocks from the larger quilt I had made. This one I actually stippled the entire quilt. My first time stippling a quilt larger then a doll quilt. My stitches are not even at all and the back stitching are looser then I would have hoped but, I love the way it turned out! This is my 2nd finished quilt for 2009!

I pieced the back which I never used to do until I started to read Crazymomquilts blog! I love her quilts and actually, this pattern was from her site!

Happy Quilting!
Lynn

Tips for Free Motion Machine Stippling

2009-03-22T07:34:00.000-07:00

From a not so good beginner! I thought I had done my homework before I started stippling my lap size quilt. But, I forgot a few very important things.

1. Always make sure that you pull the front AND the back of the quilt tight! Otherwise, you will get puckers and wrinkles and even pull some of the fabric from the side in like me!

2. When usuing your trusty pal the seam ripper, take extra care NOT to slip the point under the fabric and tear it! Like I did :-(

That's all for now

I test drove a Bernina 440 QE today!

2009-03-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness am I ever in love! I cannot believe how smooth the bernina runs and the stitch regulator is the best! I am trying to convince DH that I NEED to get this machine! I sure could get alot of quilts done with that machine. I currently have a kenmore which is somewhat new but does not even compare to the bernina. Did I mention how much I love this machine??

I will be going to the sewing and Quilt expo in Worcester Mass in April to see what deals they will have on one. My dealer already told me that she will match whatever price they give and give lessons to boot! So, with any luck, I will have a new machine by the end of April!!

So, if you have one, do you love it?

Lynn

You Can Quilt This from You Can Make This

2009-03-19T14:05:00.001-07:00

I just received my newsletter from YouCanMakeThis.com that they are starting a site called You Can Quilt This! I am so excited to get new patterns with full picture instructions along with it. I have purchased and made several of the patterns from the YouCanMakeThis site so I know the new site will have patterns that are easy to follow and make! So hop on over to here to sign up!

Flea Market Fancy Quilt top

2009-03-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

I finished the Flea Market Fancy quilt top. Now I just need to put the backing on and quilt it. I am a bit nervous about doing the free motion quilting on it. I am so afraid of ruining it!

Catch up Post

2009-03-09T09:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, since I have not posted alot, I have tons of pictures to show. The first one is of a wall hanging that I am making. I used the pattern from Don't Look Now located here. I was working on it faithfully until my DS got sick. I really need more time in each day!

These next mini quilts are from the Swap Till You Drop doll quilt swap. The first is the mini I sent to Julie(Jgmehlin. The theme was Sing it, read it, say it. I did my quilt based on "The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music". After I was all finished, I realized I made the musical notes backwards. OOPS! and the second is the one I received from her based on Oh Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison. I love the one I received! It is really beautiful!

That's all for now. More later when I have more time.

Lynn

Good Monday Morning!

2009-03-09T08:08:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I purchased two Legacy Studio baskets of fabric from Joannes. They were on sale from 69.99 to 34.99. Each basket had 24 pieces (18x21) of fabric. I am usuing the tutorial from Crazy Mom Quilts of the Flea Market fancy quilt.

I have all my blocks cut and sewn. It made enough to make two lap size quilts! I just have to sew on the borders and backings then I can quilt. I am going to try free motion quilting the entire top. I am a bit nervous about that because I have only free motioned quilted on doll quilts.

I am also working on two mini quilts for February swaps that I am behind on. My youngest DS has been sick with muscle spasms and nerve problems so we have been in and out of the doctors and through a bunch of tests. Hopefully we will see some answers soon!

Happy Quilting!
Lynn

Finished Baby Quilt

2009-03-02T13:19:00.000-08:00

I finished this baby quilt yesterday for a baby shower this week. I love the way it turned out except for a few puckers here and there.

I can't believe it is almost March!

2009-02-27T16:44:00.000-08:00

Time is flying by so quickly this month. I have been dealing with some medical issues with my 5 year old and that has taken up lots of my time. I have 2 minis I will be working on this weekend for two swaps and I have a baby quilt to finish for a baby shower.

I also have a ton of UFO's to start working on. They just seem to pile up so fast! So, tomorrow I will get some photos up of my current projects and maybe that will be the push I need to get them done!

Lynn

I need organization!

2009-02-01T06:58:00.000-08:00

My sewing room was a complete disaster! The carpeting was gross so we tore it up and replaced it with Pergo flooring and then painted the walls a nice sage color. It is so much brighter in there! Pictures to come, they appear to be missing from my computer :-)

I bought some of those cardboard backings for comic books to try to get my fabric organized. I have so much of it and can never find the color I am looking for. I have one row of fabric done and it is so much easier to find.

On the quilting side, I am working on a new wall hanging for the wall in that room. So far I have all the applique cut out but I keep switching it around so I have not ironed it yet. I also need to get one of those Clover Bias tape makers to make my stems with. I am going to see about getting one today.

Well, that's all for now!
Happy Quilting!
Lynn

Don't Look Now has patterns!

2009-01-22T07:17:00.000-08:00

I am a huge fan of Kellie from Don't Look Now. She has created 3 awesome patterns for purchase. She also has a pattern for her Rainbow Lollipops quilt that came out in this issue of Quilters Companion! Make sure you stop by and visit Kellie!

Happy Quilting!

My next project

2009-01-12T07:27:00.000-08:00

I have started on another pillow with some applique pieces. I love ladybugs!

I still have more shapes to cut out and then reposition some but I like what it looks like so far!

Have a great day!
Lynn

I finished my pillow!

2009-01-09T04:23:00.000-08:00

I finally finished a project from start to finish and it only took me working on it for 3 days (not straight lol)!

I love this pillow!!
Lynn

Flower Applique Pillow

2009-01-07T19:19:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite blogs to visit is Kelie from Don't Look Now. On her blog she has created a wonderful tutorial for this pillow. I love love love the way it is turning out so far. My free motion quilting still needs work but is getting better all the time.

Head on over and visit Kelly! You will not be disappointed!

Lynn

Chinese Coin Quilts

2008-12-12T08:37:00.000-08:00

I finished the top to the coin quilt I have been working on. I must say I rather like the colors of it. I just need to get some backing fabric and then I can attempt to free motion quilt it. I used a balipop in the sherbert colors.

I took the picture while it was draped over my desk so it is really not distorted like it looks.

Crazy month!

2008-12-10T12:20:00.001-08:00

Goodness it has been a while since I have posted anything. It has been a crazy busy month. I started on a quilt using BaliPops. I am making a coins quilt. I love the way it is turning out so far (photos to follow). However, I found that I had to recut all of the balipops 2.5 inch strips. They ALL had a pregnant belly in the middle and were off. Anyone else find this to be the case? I bought 3 packs of these and would hate to have to cut all of them to size.

Other then that, I love the colors and the quilt is turning out nicely. I am going to try a pattern I found with applique ladybugs on it. Really cute wall hanging that would look nice in my dining area.

More later
Lynn

Swap Till you Drop Fall Quilt

2008-11-10T06:25:00.001-08:00

I received this beautiful fall quilt from MillieMorgan in the Swap Till You Drop Fall quilt swap. I love the appliqued leafs!

This is the one I sent to her

Front

Back

I am almost finished with my November swap till you drop for a two color quilt!

Happy Quilting!
Lynn

What a month!

2008-10-30T07:07:00.001-07:00

Boy, this month has been a hell month for me. With DD's boyfriend passing away from a car accident to MY DD almost dying from bee stings. She is highly allergic to bees and was at work when she felt a sting on her rear end. She went into the bathroom and found the bee. She was stung 3 times and told her boss that she needed to get home to her epi pen as she is very allergic.

The idiot had someone drive her home and by the time she got there, she was swollen and having trouble breathing. Her Step Mom gave her benedryl (no epi in the house) and called an ambulance. By the time they arrived, she was not breathing but by the time they arrived at the hospital, she was fine! What a scare! They gave her more epi's and she will now have to wear the medical alert jewelry. I have more gray hairs from this month alone then I have ever had in my life!

On a lighter note, I finished another mini for the doll quilt swap 5 and will post pictures as soon as the receipient receives it.

Happy Quilting
Lynn

Quilt Giveaway

2008-10-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

Lizzy Anne over at Pigtails and snails Here is giving away a georgous quilt! Pop on over for your chance to win!

Lynn

Sad day today

2008-10-13T18:12:00.000-07:00

My dd's boyfriend was in a car accident a couple of nights ago. He fell asleep at the wheel of his car and crashed. His head injury was too severe and he passed away today. His family will be donating his organs. It has not been a very good holiday weekend :-(

I received my Halloween Doll Quilt!

2008-10-10T05:57:00.000-07:00

I received my beautiful doll quilt from Michelle at Gettysburg Quilter. It is my first doll swap and first quilt to hang on my wall. I absolutely love it! She hand quilted the entire quilt and handquilted a spider web in the background.

Front of quilt

Back of Quilt

My pictures are not the best but if you click on Michelle's blog, you can see her photos. Thank you Michelle!

Here are photos of the quiltie I sent to Michelle
Front

Back

Lynn

2008-10-06T06:12:00.000-07:00

Tom over at Quilting and Carving here is having a give away to introduce his new blog. Stop by and see his wonderful carvings and quilts and enter for your chance to win his beautiful hand carved framed quilt.

Happy Quilting!
Lynn

BRRRRR!!

2008-10-05T06:34:00.000-07:00

It is cold outside!! My house is so cold, my 4yr old ds woke up and asked if we could turn the air conditioner off. I said, it is not on and he said, then why is is so cold in here? Um, it is becoming winter outside. Off to the window he went to look for snow!

On a brighter note, my beautiful puppy Minnie is such a good puppy. The first night she slept in her pen, she played with the paper for a bit and then slept through the night. She did get up and pee in the pen. She had a great day with no accidents in the house!!

Then last night, I took her outside before bed and in the morning, her pen was dry!! I took her outside and she immediately went pee and came back inside. What a good girl!

On the quilting side, I have three mini quilts to make. One is a halloween theme that will be done first to get there before Halloween. The second is a fall theme which I have started on. And the last I am not sure what it will be. Still waiting to find out.

I am going to cook "Thanksgiving dinner" later on today just because I can :-) And I have a craving for it lol. Maybe I will take picture along the way!

Happy Quilting!
Lynn

Meet Minnie Bean, My new puppy

2008-10-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

I saw this adorable mini Dachshund at the pet store a few weeks ago and fell in love. She was so snuggly and cute. I bugged DH every day and finally today, he came home and surprised me with her! She is just adorable and tiny. We named her Minnie Bean after my grandmother. (that really was her name!) It is a perfect name for her.

Here she is!

Something Shiny/A new blog

2008-10-02T06:45:00.001-07:00

If you are anything like me, you lose your train of thought at a drop of a dime. Mid sentence you snap around "Ooohhh, something shiny"! Never to return to the sentence you were in.

Well, blogs are like that for me! I will be enjoying reading a blog and then they will link to another blog and I am "Ooohhhh, another blog" and off I go. It is a continous pattern with new links in the new blog and goes on and on and on.

It is not easy keeping track of all the wonderful blogs :-)

Happy Quilting!

Silly Men

2008-10-02T06:35:00.000-07:00

My DH, the silly man that he is, thinks that I am the ONLY person in the world with UFO's! No matter how I try to tell him this is not the case, he just will not listen. Each time I start a new project, he wonders why I have not finished the previous one, or the one before that.

He has been checking out the price tags on my purchases lately. Wonder if that has something to do with it lol? Sigh, he just does not get it.

Swaps!

2008-10-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

I signed up for the Swap till you drop swap Here. I need to learn how to put the link where you just click HERE and it brings you. Much nicer.

I will be doing a halloween theme and the fall theme. I cannot wait!

I also signed up for the Doll Quilt Swap Here . I have not received the information on that one yet but looking foward to it.

I have a really really looooong hallway that is begging for something to line it with. It is the perfect place to hang all of my quilt art!

Yippee! The help button at the top is a great resourse lol. I figured out how to hyperlink!!

Pictures of my new goodies

2008-09-30T08:27:00.000-07:00

I found a camera, not my good one but a camera no less. Here are pictures of my stash I picked up at quiltedThreads

I go a Jelly Roll book, 3 Bali Pops, some quilting templates, some Stipples made easy paper, a triangle ruler, and a Quilters home magazine

Here is what I purchased at Joannes fabric the other day. Slowly I am building up my stash!

Happy Quilting!

Quilt store trip

2008-09-29T09:08:00.000-07:00

My camping neighbor brought me to a fantastic quilt shop called Quilted Threads (www.quiltedthreads.com). I was lucky enough to go on the day that Mark Lipinski was there teaching a class! I watched for a while wishing I would have known ahead of time to go and take the class. Instead, I shopped and shopped and shopped some more! I came home with quite a big loot of things.

I would snap a picture but cannot find my camera, again. As soon as I do, I will take some pictures.

I signed up for a Swap till you drop swap over at Flickr. This will be my first swap so I am a little nervous about it. I am still needing practice on my bindings and quilting of the tops. I guess practice makes perfect!

Happy Quilting!

Quilt Top Done!!

2008-09-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

Yay! The quilt top is done!! Now to sandwich and quilt :-)

Here is the picture from the magazine

It's Friday!

2008-09-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

I love Fridays! I am still working on a baby quilt that I found in the fons and porter magazine. I have had to use my seam ripper a few times with this one. I messed up on the stripes and had to take them apart to fix and now, when I was putting the rows together, my seams did not line up correctly. I even pinned the darn thing but nope, not lined up. My seam ripper is getting dull.

Here is a picture of some of the blocks

And some more

Hopefully by the end of today I will have the top done, hopefully!

Sewing room

2008-09-24T07:28:00.001-07:00

I reorganized my sewing area the other day. I bought some heavy duty tables from Staples to put all my machines on. It is nice to have all of them in the same area now.

This is a picture of the L shape I made with the tables. I still need work as I have so much stuff lol.

This is my guest bed. The quilt on top is the one I am working on now. Not the best picture but you get the point lol.

And this is my ironing station

Hopefully the photos are not too big :-)

My quilting Blog

2008-09-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

I have been reading and viewing tons of wonderful quilt blogs so I decided I needed to start one of my own. I have named my blog Soukies because that is what my DH calls his comfort blankie or woobie as some call them. When I think of handmade quilts, I think of my DH with his Soukie, his comfort blanket!

I have been sewing for many years and trying my hand at quilting. I started off with panels, sewing around the cute little animals or designs. I purchased the log cabin quilt book and made my first strip pieced quilt. I have since made a few quilts but have never sandwiched, quilted and binded one. I am addicted to buying fabric and quilting magazines and want to try all of the patterns. Of course we all know that will be impossible but hey, one can try right?

I have a couple of quilts ready for backing and quilting so I will post pictures of my progress along the way. For anyone who stumbles across my blog, welcome!

Lynn