Dots and Checks: The End!

The top?  

Started and finished it in 2 days last year.

A simple "Snowball" pattern.

Then I finished the back in one afternoon about a month later.

And promptly folded them both up and put them away....

I think I wasn't sure about the unknown velour-like fabric I had chosen from my stash.  Or I think I just didn't know how I was going to quilt it.

Either way, I completely forgot about it!

But I think it was fate that I found it again recently.   Otherwise, I wouldn't have had a complete quilt to take a spin on Ole Betsy.   It made my Thanksgiving day a bit brighter while the boys and Mr. Boss cheered on their Dallas Cowboys.  (pssst...I am so tired of sports in our house.  I wake up every morning to the ESPN sound)

I started with FMQ and it just wasn't looking well.  I tore out all the stitches.  Two hours worth.  I just checked on my Turkey in the roaster every once in while!

I finally found a maple leaf pantograph and took it for a spin.

Not perfect...but it will do, I guess.

I didn't watch any vidoes (even though I have TWO from Handi Quilter) on how to do it with the laser.

So I had a few oopsies where I trailed off the border.

Of course, this weekend, I watched the videos and realized that I should have tried to use the pattern for my border.  It would have looked better than my free hand leaves.

And can you please squint....those stitches along the binding need to be pulled out. They were the stitches that were holding my quilt to the leaders.  They are supposed to be hidden by my binding.

I REALLY need to work on that skill getting it closer to the edge of my fabric!!!

Otherwise, I am pretty happy with it overall.

Lessons learned?

Watch as many Handi Quilter videos as possible.  I am so thankful they gave me 7 free DVD videos with my purchase.  

Many things are much clearer now after watching them while ironing and sewing costumes!!!

Am I a good girl for showing you my failures? 

Or have you lost even the small amount of respect you had for me as a quilter?

 

Wow!

I will never forget this quilt show!!!  Ever.

Here's why......

Mr. Boss decided that we would take the whole family.  He felt that this was really important to me and that the boys should share in it.

There is some serious news...so hang in there all the way to the end of the story, okay?

As we first walked in...a quilt car. 

NOTE:  Please excuse blurry/non-focused/horrible photos.  It was VERY busy and I didn't want to annoy any of the more serious ladies that were there!!!!

My 14 year old son found these two special areas.  Apparently, I am old because all quilters need scooters....in his mind...

 And that he needed to know where the first aid station was because he felt that he was in dire need of help.

But the boys discovered that quilts aren't all flowers and butterflies....

And Bean LOVED the animal quilts.

Bunny was fascinated with this one...it made you get dizzy and the optical illusion was mind blowing!

There might have been a few yawns since we were there during  naptime...

But there were certainly some occasional giggles.....

Taken with Camera phone by the oldest.....he posted this on Facebook.....

Where else, but a quilt show would there be a "Ladies Only" sign at the Mens' restroom door!

I can't even tell you how many booths there were.  Too many that my brain was in overload.

And the boys had a lot of fun test driving long arm quilting machines.  I think they made the salespeople nervous, but they used them like pros...and it kept them busy!

And the quilts entered into the show?  Amazing.

You weren't allowed to take pictures of some of them.  But I took just a few of the ones I could.

Wearable Quilt Art Winner.

My mom would love this.  She loves all things "oriental" especially since she was born in Okinawa, Japan (on a military base..)

Oh...shopping you say?

I just couldn't decide.  But Mr. Boss wanted me to get this kit:

It didn't take much to twist my arm...we saw the finished project.

I think it will take me 10 years to finish it!

So many gadgets....

I only picked up the quilting paper, powder pounce, proportional scale, and tape measure.  They are tools to help with pantograph quilting.  They came with these.

Huge spools of quilting thread.  

Why do I need that you say?

Oh, I didn't tell you why my husband is the

BEST HUSBAND EVER?

Because I am picking up one of the demos of these...

Today!! 

My frame will be here by the end of next week!!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!

I am a proud owner of a new Handi Quilter  longarm machine!!!

HQ 18 inch Avante with Studio Frame

I will tell you who, what, where, and why I chose this brand tomorrow.  

I have to go pick my new girl up!

Oh....and recover from the shock...No more gifts for the next 20 years of birthdays and Christmases!