All Dressed Up

We are just getting ready to head out the door for the 4-hour drive to Salt Lake for Labor Day Weekend.

My Father-In-Law turns 90 years old and the family is having a big 2-day Birthday Bash. This is truly a great man, and we are so happy to honor him.

On the drive I have some hand work prepared. I've started working on Nanette's (of Freda's Hive) All Dressed Up Quilt pattern.

I'm appreciative of Mr. Cactus driving, so I have the time to actually sit and get some applique done.

Here is the start of a few of the dresses.

I've loved picking out fun fabrics.

Nanette used a lot of embellishments on hers, like buttons and ribbons.

I will add mine later.

Make sure to run over to Nanette's blog and check out her etsy site with all the other wonderful patterns she has designed.

MasterPiece Thread

Since I have started working at Superior Threads, many people have asked me "What is the best thread to use for piecing my quilt?"
My immediate answer is "MasterPiece".
Alex Anderson, who used to be the host of HGTV Simply Quilts, and now co-hosts The Quilt Show with Ricky Tims, has placed her name on this wonderful thread.


This is what Alex Anderson says about MasterPiece:
"MasterPiece™ is a #50/2 extra-long staple Egyptian cotton that is ideal for today's quilter. It is fine and smooth and a delight to work with. It is wonderful for piecing, quilting, and also in the bobbin. Accuracy when piecing becomes instantly enhanced because MasterPiece™ creates a very smooth, flat, and even seam which does not add any bulk. A flatter seam is especially important when sewing together blocks that contain many points."
***
MasterPiece is very smooth and virtually lint free.
Before I went to work for Superior Threads, I confess I knew very little about thread, and I wasn't that particular about which thread I used. About once a month I would clean under the throat plate to get the dust and accumulations out of my sewing machine. Once I started using MasterPiece, I was very surprised when I lifted my throat plate and found practically nothing to clean out.
I remember thinking "Ah...this is what they are talking about! It really is virtually lint free." All of that fuzz and lint from previously low quality threads that gathered under my my throat plate had also been traveling through the thread path on my machine. That is no longer a problem now that I use MasterPiece.
Another thing I have noticed is that my thread no longer breaks as I'm sewing along.
We spend a lot of money on high quality fabrics at our favorite quilt stores. It just makes sense that we should use a high quality thread. We put a lot of time into our projects and would like them to last for years. We definitely don't want them coming apart at the seams because we didn't use a good thread to piece them with.
MasterPiece comes in 59 beautiful colors on 3,000 yard cones and 600 yard spools.
You can order from Superior's website HERE.
I'd love to hear about your experiences of working with MasterPiece!

Dixie Diva September Night Meeting

Last night was our Dixie Diva Night Meeting.
Time for show and tell!

Verny brought her latest Halloween quilt. She works for Bernina and this was done entirely on the embroidery machine.

Jan J. is making aprons on her embroidery machine.

We met last night at Pat's house. She took us into her sewing room to see the progress she has made on her Feathered Sun by John Flynn.

Would you believe there is no paper piecing in this entire quilt!

Wow.

Pat lives in a small Southern Utah town near Zion National Park, and she has decorated her entire home in Southwest designs.

Look at this wonderful applique.

In fact, Pat is famous for her applique. She has won award after award after award.

Her house is full of amazing quilts.

In her sewing room she was in the midst of several applique projects.

She has completed many of the blocks from Hearts and Tulips.

This is what it will look like once it is completed.

Don't you love to look at the design boards of creative people?
These are some of Pat's works in progress.

Even the clock in her sewing room is creative!

The latest finished piece. This one hangs in her guest bathroom.

And a long time ago she started a Sunbonnet Sue through the Seasons quilt.

Pat just went out as the President of the Dixie Quilt Guild.

I'm still just honored to be able to sit by her. Her home is full of the most amazing quilts. They are all so intricate, and she hand quilts them too!

Ribbons all over the house.

If I could do one of these quilts in a lifetime I would feel accomplished.

A true master.

Findings

A few months ago Amy of Diary of A Quilter mentioned on her blog a wonderful little shop in Carmel, California called Findings. When we were there a few days ago I knew I wanted to go in and visit the store myself.

This store is so perfectly named. Findings is just that. What a find!

Owner Nancy King-Monk has scoured many a flea market, and tapped into the talents of many a designer. She was so pleasant and friendly to visit with.

I was IN LOVE just walking through the door.
First my eye landed on beautiful Kaffe fabrics. Her selections of fabrics were limited but every thing she carries is so beautiful.

And then there were shelves and shelves of amazing ribbons and trims. I wanted them all.

When I was a little girl my mother would take me to Sausalito to shop and we always visited a store that was lined with every kind of imaginable trim. I didn't want a toy or ice cream. I spent my few pennies on trims.

So, you can imagine my reaction when I walked into Findings.

I loved them all.

And the vintage buttons took my breath away.

I could live at this store.

Look at the amazing hand work on these jackets.

I knew I had to purchase at least a little bit of braids or trim, but where to start?

I limited myself to just a small cut of these three.

A Laura Nicholson vegetable design.

Another Laura Nicholson "Pears". I love the color of blue in the background.

And some French braid "birds".

And then I purchased this crocheted pin by Betty Withrow. I have enjoyed seeing every one's crocheted granny squares on the blogs and since I don't have the time to join you, this will be my little version.

Just looking at the handiwork makes me happy.

Findings is located on San Carlos between Ocean and 7th, P.O. Box 6638, Carmel, CA 93921 (831) 624-3700