October

October has been a beautiful month…sunny days with moderate temperatures, cool evenings, bountiful leaves turning brilliant colors, corn and bean crops being harvested unimpeded by rain, and a heart Husker football team (let’s not talk about Texas).

Nebraska’s quilt guilds are busy with meetings, shows, and retreats. Recently a quilt guild spent their weekend at Calvin Crest where they sewed and quilted into the wee hours of the night working on individual projects. There was no formalized instruction. Instead the retreaters shared their projects, techniques, and sewing secrets with each other. I know my best ideas have come from my sewing friends. I am thankful sewists believe in sharing ideas. These ideas can become big timesavers. And that’s why I Love Sewing’s classroom becomes “Stitchin’s Sundays” the fourth Sunday of the month from 12-5pm. Bring your sewing machine and enjoy the afternoon. Let’s share some ideas and techniques.

Or join Jude on the fourth Saturday morning of the month for individualized instruction on any project you have in mind. Jude is an awesome teacher with a wealth of knowledge and creativity. She helped Dee and me upholster formal dining room table chairs and then we moved onto bar stools.

Speaking of new ideas, we are carrying patterns for new designer, Jerrilyn. We met Jerrilyn at the Superior School of Threadology. Jerri has sewn all of her life and has been busy with family and careers. Finally, she is able to devote most of her time to her passion, creating with fabric. Follower her blog at http://jerisew.blogspot.com/ .

Take a moment to enjoy the fall. Try a new technique. Share ideas with friends. And keep on sewing.

 
 

 

 Oops.  It happened again.  Dee is off to the football game and Zac says “I suppose we are going early so we can check out a quilt store.”  She can’t help it.  A magnet draws her to quilt stores when on road trips.  In fact I’m pretty certain some of her trips are designed around quilt stores.  She’ll say “Let’s go to KC to look at furniture” but invariably no furniture Is bought and instead she has visited every quilt store between home and KC.  Or maybe “We should go to a Broncos” football game but it’s really code for seeking out quilt stores west of Lincoln.  Dee reminds me of my trips to quilt stores disguised as outings to enjoy the beautiful weather.  You are not alone when family members doubt your reason for some road trips.  You know, I really don’t think Zac minds going to quilt stores.  He knows the quilts will end up at his house and he really does love and cherish them.  After all, his Mom made them!!!

The tale of the poor spider…

The tale of the poor spider…Okay, not as original as Charlotte’s Web but the story is as follows: Nancy says she is collecting a spider, dead or alive, for her Biology 103 lab Class at UNL.  So I ask what type of spider…just a spider…and so we are in search of the perfect spider.  Right now we are surrounded with spiders made out of pipe cleaners, beads, plastics, and imprinted in fabric.  Should it be large, small, black, brown, and please don’t tell me what happens to the poor spider once it makes it to your lab.  Dee is carefully placing a small black spider (about 3/8 inch diameter excluding its legs) into a paper cup.  But no, she will not suffocate the spider with saran wrap.  Instead, she is gently covering the paper cup with a light weight interfacing… And Wonder Tape to hold the interfacing in place.  And now Dee is placing another spider into another paper cup with the light weight interfacing and wonder Tape.  Why, another spider…Dee suggests Nancy provides spiders for the entire lab group.  How will these poor spiders be transported to Lincoln?  Of course, the cups will be placed into a standard size muffin tin so the ride won’t be bumpy.  Is it a full moon….or is Halloween just a little bit overdone?

 

Race for the Cure

 “It Takes a Village” has swept across our country as we dedicated October as Breast Cancer Awareness month. It was evidenced on Sunday when 19,500 Midwestern of all ages, sizes, and shapes converged at the Omaha Civic Auditorium to “race for the Cure”. A big thanks to I Love Sewing, LLC Sew Pink Team. We had a great time.  Many of us carried our Take a Make cell phone bags using the Fight Like a Girl fabric from Windham. The 5K walk (about 3 miles) headed north from the Civic by the Creighton soccer field and into a beautiful neighborhood. High school cheer teams encouraged us as we walked. Besides the satisfaction of completing the walk, we were rewarded with donuts, cookies, popcorn, cereal, yogurt, and lots of congratulations from the bystanders and the participants. This was definitely a crowd to “people watch”. The common theme amongst all was JOY….whether in honoring a survivor or remembering a family member or friend who succumbed to Brest cancer. Top off the Joy with Love and Determination and this fight will eventually be won!

 



Our Fight Like a Girl Fabric

Dee, Nancy, and Marcia