Finishing, Endorsing and Upcoming

Lots to share today, so let's start with Upcoming:
  Check out Paula's new Companions collection with Marcus Fabrics.  I just cut a piece of each one to send to Paula so she can design a new quilt (or two!!) with the collection.  The rest is here at my house and I've been drooling over all of them.  I love them all and can't wait to see what we're going to do with them.

  It's cruising time!!  Paula and I leave Sunday, March 16th for a 7 day cruise on the Navigator of the Seas with Stitchin' Heaven.  Paula will be teaching with Jerry Stube (Quilters Quarters) and Denice Lipscomb (Common Threads Quilting) and I go along as Paula's teaching assistant.  Basically I'll do whatever it takes to go on another cruise!!!

  June 1st you can join us on Olde Green Cupboard's 7 night Eastern Caribbean "Getting Ready for Christmas" cruise on RC's Freedom of the Seas. Paula will be teaching Glory Bound on this cruise.  Check out the Olde Green Cupboard's website for more information (www.oldegreencupboard.com). There's still room for more quilters, so think about joining us for some fun, friends and fabric!!
                                

Now how about some applause for some Finishing:
   Yes, I finished some things and it is such a good feeling.  Lynn and Cathy (Longarm Quilting) finished Julianne's quilt and sent it with Gloria to our retreat last week.  I've put the binding on it and finally made dust ruffles for both girls.  This move to a big girl bed really involves a lot of work - quilt, dust ruffle and pillowcases!! Oh yeah, made 2 new pillowcases for each girl also!!  I really just love doing this for them.  Their fabrics are just so pretty and sweet.

Quilt and dust ruffle (just peeking out)

Lynn and Cathy's beautiful quilting

And now an infomercial moment or an Endorsement:
   I'm pretty sure I shared the "problem" I had with Julianne's quilt - I believe it was my inability to read a pattern correctly, a pattern I have already made about 7 times, but I digress!!!.  I came back from the January retreat and had to "unsew" half of the rows - ugh!!  Gloria shared a new seam ripper with me, not for the ripping part, but for the rubber cap that helps remove all of those little threads you have left on the fabric after you "unsew".  I also found myself in need of this wonderful little tool when I sewed one of the sides of Julianne's dust ruffle on backwards!!!  After you have "unsewn", just rub the cap across the threads and it removes them - viola!!! Let me introduce you - Seam Fix!!!  Love it!!!

  

Well I'm off to finish the blocks for Meredtih's quilt and then it's family birthday celebration night.  My nephew is celebrating #12 tomorrow and today's rain has cancelled out practices, games, etc. so a quick party was planned AND it looks like everyone will be able to attend. Caitlin is feeling better after her bout with a bug, so we will celebrate her birthday too!!  Family - one of the many reasons I love living in St. Pete!!!

Until next time, happy quilting,
Mary Ellen