Thursday, December 24, 2020

Birthdays!

It just boggles my mind that my mother would have been 98 years old today! It doesn't seem like it has been 34 years since the last time I saw her. I learned a lot of stuff from her. She would tackle just about any project except electricity. She taught me how to use a hammer, screwdriver, sewing machine, saw, hang wallpaper, paint, crochet hook, and to figure out what she wanted when she said, 'go get me the whachamacallit on the thingamajig'. LOL




This was one of the holidays at my house in Peruville, NY. She HATED this orange kitchen! Every time she was in the house she would say to me, "When are you going to get rid of this *?!* orange?" I LIKED orange at that time...... I did finally wallpaper that room and she was much happier with it!

She was a hell of a lady! Happy birthday, MOM!



Happy Quilting, Sharon 

Permanent "Quilting the Kaye Wood Way" Certified Instructor since 2013 
'Grand Ruler' instructor for Marti Michell since 2019

Sunday, May 3, 2020

New Tute for our famous 'Masks'!

Check out my new 'tute' under my 'Tutorial' tab. 
This tute is for the famous 'masks' that everyone is sporting since our world has become crazy!

Check it out and let me know what you think!
You can make comments here.

Thanks!

Happy Quilting, Sharon
Permanent "Quilting the Kaye Wood Way" Certified Instructor since 2013
'Grand Ruler' instructor for Marti Michell since 2019

Sunday, January 5, 2020

The year in review......

The end of 2019 is here and I can't believe how the years just fly right on by. I can't be this old when I feel young at heart. My body tells me every day that I may feel young at heart, the body just laughs and laughs. LOL! 

I started out the year with a daily 'diary' type book. I'm not sure exactly when I stopped writing in it, but one day I realized I hadn't written in it for some time. I'd have to get up off the couch to go find the silly thing just to check and that's not happening right now. 

I did have wrist and elbow surgery in April to repair my carpal tunnel. I planned on getting a few things done between surgeries and I managed to accomplish most of them the 9 weeks I had off work. I was also blessed with a new midarm quilter about the same time (which hasn't given me a hint on what his name is, yet). Poor Mr. Stretch was replaced with a Nolting Fun Quilter. I sure hope Mr. Stretch found a new home and he can continue to make beautiful quilts. Boy, it was hard not to play with my new machine when one hand was wrapped up in gauze and tape. I have since quilted several quilts on it and LOVE my equalizer stitch regulator! The next new thing I want to master is pantographs. I also have stencils that I bought at the Paducah show that I want to get good enough to use. I have a lot of things on my 'to do' list when it comes to my new machine. 

At work I also moved from the retail side of the store to the cafe just before my surgery. For a person that never flipped burgers as a kid I did ok, but it is not my cup of tea. When Carl & I got together he agreed to be the cook in the family and 'I quit'! was my motto.  So my last day for cooking all the customers that came into the store was the 23rd. I'm sure I won't be missing the rat race.


In July Kaye Wood passed away suddenly. It still doesn't seem real at times. I just had a Facebook chat with her not long before this happened. I cherish the memories I have of her while learning her quilting techniques during classes and trunk shows. She was always laughing and doing something. She loved to travel and she once told me she loved to go on cruises. She did 2 cruises a year, one with family and one a quilting cruise. It would have been fun to go on a quilting cruise, but this gal does not like water that much! I wish I had half her energy and to be able to accomplish half of what she accomplished in her later years. I tell people she never let any grass grow under her feet! She is missed by many and I am one of the many.

I opened 2 spots in 2 consignment shops and closed 1 spot a few months later. The shop I closed was an hour away and didn't do as well as I had hoped. My second spot at Leola's Cottage is right in White House, TN and is set up for me to have quilt and sewing classes. I started out just doing classes and when they offered me a spot of my own I snatched it up real quick. Not only do I do sewing and quilt classes, but I have products up and am making some consigned quilts. It seems that Kaye's 'Trees with Ease' is a very popular pattern. I am going to sew up a couple in different fabrics to put in the shop. 

In August Carl and I went to Atlanta, GA so I could take Marti Michell's 'Grand Ruler' quilt class. So now I am a 'Grand Ruler' instructor. She has several different ideas on quilting that I have had to wrap my mind around. Her quilts are beautiful and her rulers and templates really do make lots of quilt piecing easier with less guessing. I can see using her templates on other patterns to make them go together easier. Now to just find the time. LOL!

Lots of things planned for 2020. I want to get more classes going, of course, make more quilts, master new quilting techniques (to me) on my Nolting, organize sewing 'stuff', straighten up the home front, and most of all enjoy life with Carl. We never know when life is going to change and it can in a blink of an eye.

Until next time,
Happy Quilting, Sharon
 Permanent "Quilting the Kaye Wood Way" Certified Instructor since 2013
                                        Marti Michell "Grand Ruler" Instructor since August 2019