What do you get when you add.....

6 women, several bags of Harley Shirts, and a really rainy Sunday......

Besides a great day of giggling and sharing.......(reveal at the end)

The six of us were women on a mission today!!!  When Carla asked for fund raising ideas at a LOH (Ladies of Harley) a few months back ..... I believe Jackie suggested making a quilt.   That idea took off!!!  

They contacted me, and I was all for it!!!  Carla and I figured we'd need about 6 people to make it happen.... That was easy..... Jackie, Valerie, Sandy, and Linda jumped right in to help.....

Ok.... We have a team.... But to make a T-shirt quilt we need shirts!  

Side note.... Erie's H.O.G. chapter is the most generous group of people I have ever met!!!  I've seen that group reach in their pockets and donate $300 in half hour for a good cause!!

 Carla announced the idea at our monthly meeting and asked members to donate old shirts.

Susan and Kelly Lapping, owners of the dealership, graciously donated a gift certificate so that for every shirt turned in they got a chance to win the gift certificate!  Susan and Kelly are so supportive of this group and are a great asset to the Erie area!

Before we knew it.....over 70 shirts were donated!!!!

So we started at 8am....
First up.... Rough cutting the shirts

Next up.... Ironing on the interfacing and then I squared them to 16"

I handed them off to Carla (left) and Linda (right) and they started laying them out on the design wall.

First goal..... Get them all to the final size before going to lunch.....goal met!!!  We went to lunch around 1 - it actually stopped raining long enough for us to get to the restaurant and back!!  Thank you Mother Nature.     

(L-R: Carla, Linda, Valerie, me, Jackie, Sandy)

We had lunch and giggled more!  It was so nice to sit and share with these ladies!!!  But .... What goes on at the Studio.... Stays at the Studio. But if you ever get the chance ask Carla how her and husband got together do...it's a great story!! 

The funniest part of the lunch was we realized that our husbands all go to lunch together a few times a week at this restaurant....I know we have more fun at lunch than they do! Great guys but as we talked about them it's funny how we did our imitations of our spouses.... But again what goes on at lunch stays at lunch... Hehe

Ok back to work.....

In no time at all we had them all layed

 out!

Thumbs up but everyone.

Sandy and I took to sewing the quilt together while the others straighten up and got the remaing shirts in order for the next quilt!!

Before we knew it...we were down to the last seam. Carla and I helped guide this quilt so Sandy could sew. 

 Big quilt!!!

We all said.... Of course.... TA DA....

The proceeds of this effort will go to The Sisters of Saint Joseph's. 

Thanks ladies for a great day!!!  What an awesome team - one 110" x 110" quilt started at 8am and the above picture was taken before 5pm!!  I loved working with these ladies today!!  Beautiful inside and out!!!

I'm back home and going to work ony hexies for a little bit!

Happy Sewing!!

Jill

Remember the whole one a day ....

I remember..... Wasn't I going to make one hexie s day -which ends up being 1 "flower" a week..... One year.... A boat load of hexie flowers..... AGAIN.... Kids stay in school and learn your math....  You will need to learn the sewing equivalent of a "boat load"!!

Anyways..... If I felt like looking I believe I would find about 4-5 months worth of hexie flowers.  But if I take time to look.... I'll find something else I miss placed and not come up with a single flower..... So I decided my time would be better spent kicking out this quick blog and creating more hexies!!

I have some triangle paper to English paper piece but I'm really trying not to start a new project!!

But I got this great book from my secret pal last year..... Cheryl was a great secret pal!!!  I got all sorts of neat stuff!!!  One of my favorites besides this book.....

    Was my Harley Build A Bear.... Complete with his own motorcycle!!!

   Just have to add.... I knew exactly where those two items were.... Now if I could only find my wool appliqué blocks....maybe I should look for my hexie flowers..... Lol

Ok.... Back to my hexies.... I have some catching up to do!!

Happy Sewing!!

Jill

Privileges of having a Bestie........

I hope everyone has a Bestie...but ya can't have mine!

My best friend Melody is a true godsend.  She is the one who talks me off the ledge, understands what I'm saying when I don't, she drives over to my studio to pick something up and I don't have it at the studio. Does she complain, does she look angry, no she just smiles, we laugh and away she goes! Side note:I did find the item at my house, and I did get it to her through my husband then through her daughter LOL. 

 None the less -  it did get delivered LOL but not as easy as it would have been if I would of just remembered to throw it in my bag (which I thought I had done)  LOL.

 She is caring, she shares, she has a beautiful heart and I could go on and on....but I'm sure by now I won't be able to "live" with her anymore because her head is probably to big to get through the door.

I do have to note, that having a Bestie doesn't mean that it's a one way street.... You need to be a bestie back!!  That is the beauty of this friendship....we both care and give whenever the other needs it!!   Who else but a bestie would drive to Baltimore and back to help her daughter pick up a pinball machine??

I do my share of lending my ear when she needs it ..... Actually we are both very guilty of long venting sessions that we both just listen to the other and say "yup,  ah huh, oh my etc".

We both agree with each other when we just NEED someone to agree with us.  But we can be very honest and bring the other back to reality!!   Some of us need to be brought back into reality more than others.......

We decided that we would not go as far as to give each other the shirt off our backs...... because nobody wants to see either one of us walking around without a shirt LOL. But we will freely give each other fabric that is needed from our stash to complete a project!!

Being a bestie gives you the privilege to share your world with someone who's got your back!  Sometimes (hopefully not often) it's sharing the bad/hardships of life but mostly it's sharing all the good of your life with them!!   

One of our traditions is to sew on Memorial Day!  This year we were women on a mission..... I got two of her quilts quilted this weekend.  

She had two small projects she wanted to get quilted but didn't want to do them on her domestic machine. So we loaded them up on the long arm and with a few instructions away she went! 

After we were done downstairs, we headed to the classroom.  My friend Sandy Rosenthal designed a row for me to use in this years Row By Row Experience.  Time to test cut and sew a sample!!  

 I cut a kit and then sub cut the pieces and Melly sewed the pieces!!  We did lots of math yesterday..... Side note: "Stay in school kids.... You WILL use/need those math skills more than you will ever know!!!!"

Once that was completed we moved on to me helping her with piecing her backs so that her longarmer (me) won't be mad cuz it's too small again!  But I don't get mad...I, like her, just smile, laugh, and move on. 

Shew .... Great day with lots accomplished!!

Here's to all the Besties out there!!!!  

True definition of a Bestie.....When you can roll your eyes at your bestie in front of them and they don't get mad....they laugh because they just realized what just came out of their mouth deserved an eye rolling!!  We both have done that to each other!!!   

Happy Sewing!

Jill

Hoping.....

I have had so much trouble getting my blog to post my Facebook page. I think I may have figured it out, but it has taken a lot of time trying to get Twitterfeed to talk to Facebook!

So I am back home, and getting ready to go to bed but not before I post a quick post and hopefully it will go directly to Facebook all on its own!

I thought I would share with you a tool I got when I was at quilting around Chautauqua in New York last fall. 

It is called the iron finger and is supposed to help you so that you don't get this heat from the steam or burn your fingers with the iron.

 At first Melody and I laughed and thought this was going to be something that would never be used. 

However, I did try it and I actually liked it I was doing some small pieces and I  I didn't burn my hands with steam so it is a keeper and I will be using it in the future.  I liked how easy it was to use and wasn't as awkward as I thought.  You can also use it to press seams open.  I haven't tried that..... yet.

 

Here's to hoping this phenomenal weekend ends with a fix to my posting problem!!!

Happy Sewing!!

Jill

Last morning

Wow has time flew!!!

I can't remember when I laughed so hard!!  I know where I get a lot of my personality..... My mother is a hoot!! But I have to add.... The rest of these ladies are right up there!!!

It's the subtle humor..... Wait there's not subtle about any of us.... I change that to:   

It's the quick wit....there isn't a one of us that doesn't take the opportunity to throw a funny at the drop of a hat!!!

To many to list and we usually go on the saying..... "What's goes on at Turtlerock, Stays at Turtlerock!!" 

Well not all.... I do like to share.... Hehe

Listening to everyone tell stories from the past is always good for a laugh!!  Especially when my mom and aunt look at each other start laughing and we have to wait til they can either speak or the run to bathroom first before they finish the story!!

Melody and Heidi are definitely  related.... Their quick wit CRACKS me up!!!   We did find out this weekend that Heidi can write lyrics - to my mom's cell phone alarm tone (she sets it to remind her to take her pills)

Myra is the most reserved out of our group.... But she holds her own .... Actually I think she just can't get a word in, so we think she's quiet! 

  When we were riding back from Eden Sewing Center I noticed Myra wasn't talking....Was something wrong I wondered..... Then I realized the three (Melody, Heidi, and I) of us hadn't stopped talking long enough for her to get a word in!!

But it's the sharing that is so genuine!!!  If you just mention something you need.... We all (without thinking) start working on a solution..... Do we have something they could use- fabric from our projects we brought/thread color we have/sissies/tape measure/interfacing etc... Do they need our help (we just stop what we are working on to help!! .... Or do they just need us to listen and nod our heads in agreement (whether we do or not).   We are there for each other and we can count on that!!!  

One of my favorite observations is thinking wow we are all talking a lot only to realize we are ALL talking to ourselves!!!

Amongst all the eating and laughing we do get things accomplished.... Although there is not quota we need to meet!!! 

 

I got my sailboat done..... Ready to add last border (left fabric at home)

I also got to work on a kit Myra and I bought circa 2013....

And I am currently adding piano key borders to a quilt I worked on last time...

Heidi got this altogether 

Wow.... Is all I can say!!!

Melody worked on last years Row by Row Experience....

Can't wait to see this completed!!!

Aunt Martha put this quilt together....

Mom is still plugging along on Roll Roll Cotton Boll!!!   And along with working on our kit, Myra put the borders on the coin quilt and got the binding completely sewn on the other quilt.

WELL DONE LADIES!!!

There were enough memories to get us through til October.... When we meet again!!!

Happy Sewing!

Jill

Good Morning Retreat Day 3

We are laughing, eating, laughing, eating..... Oh wait.... We are here to sew!!

We are getting lots done and having fun doing it!!

This is my view from my seat this morning.... 

But this is what it looked like last night....

What have we accomplished so far....

Heidi got her Bonnie Hunter Grand Illusion together!! And how about these cute coasters.....

Yove them!!!!  (My sayinging for things that I really really love)

Myra got one quilt quilted and one quilt put together!!

Next up....

Melody whipped this up ... So nice!!!

Some lucky niece will cherish this!!!

There was another quilt top completed.... But it's secret.... But I will share that ...... someone will love it!!!!

My Aunt Martha has been busy with fabric books....

And she finished the binding on this baby quilt!!

How lucky she is..... Both of her son's are adding baby girls to the family.... Two months apart!!!  They are good boys with beautiful wives....and they were polite enough not to have the babies near our next retreat date!!

Mom is working on finishing a few projects....

As I type this and take pictures....mom is the only one who had gotten ready for the day....the rest of us are hiding behind quilts and the camera.... 😀

Next up on moms list.... Working on Bonnie Hunter's Roll Roll Cotton Boll circa 2011

Ok.... Time to get some breakfast and then to sewing.... I'm working on the Missouri Star Quilt co Sailboat Quilt with Tula Pink fabric!!!!

Happy Sewing!!

Jill

Day 2 of Retreat

Having a great time and getting lots done!!!  

Got my Tree done so it's ready to quilt!!!   Didn't call it a Christmas Tree cuz I'm going to decorate for each season!!  My bestie, Melody is in charge of the decorations!!

Up next for me..... I have been designing a quilt in my head..... I am making this quilt for Sammy..... She is a sweetheart and is very thoughtful!!!   She is out waitress at our favorite restaurant.

My hubby and I are creatures of habit and we just have to walk in and pretty much nod at Sammy and she brings us our beverages and meals!   

She also listens to us.... Poor girl.... Lol.  But always a smile.... Well for the most part.... Hehe.  After all she does have to wait on us and my hubby thinks he's funny ALL the time.

One day she got a call from a friend who had some things from a family member who past away.....they offered Sammy some of the belongings.  While she was there, Sammy thought of me and gave me some quilting items!!!

Between that, graduating from college, and putting up with us over the last few years.....this girl is getting a quilt!!!

So I gathered up my fabric of her favorite colors and began the process of creating a modern type quilt.

I sorted through, pulled out strips and went to work ......

I got excited and started sewing pieces together.

I didn't plan one bit of this quilt and maybe when you see the end result you will say "that was obvious". I hope not.... But I will blame it on starting it late at night and going to bed late!!

I will say when I went to bed last night with a smile and couldn't stop thinking about what I was going to add next!!

My goal was to have the top done before it was time to make dinner.....just a few more areas to fill in!!

Ta Da!!!!!

Can't wait to get this quilted!!!  This process was so much fun and I really enjoyed every minute of this process!!  I only matched one seam because I choose to plan it that way.... 

Ok I'm not the only one making progress!!  More on that later.....I'm going to try to do the normal posting and praying my blog, twitter feed, and Facebook will talk again!!!!!   I bet I spent close to 2 hours messing with that.... AND there's sewing to do!!!!

Happy sewing!!

Jill